When You're Not Looking
by mustlovecat
Summary: Flack OC Don and Noelle's story comes to an end. Final chapter updated.
1. Noelle

**A/N **So, I am back … kind of. I have had so many people tell me that Flack needs a girlfriend, so I decided to give him one  This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter work, so be kind. This story is also completely AU. However, it fits in with series of D/L one-shots – in other words, Danny and Lindsay are married with twins, for what little they appear in this work. Really, it is devoted to the man I adore – Flack!

I apologize in advance for any geographical errors. I have fictionalized most places and such as I am Canadian and have never actually been to New York City. Some processes are also being written from my Canadian perspective, because frankly, I'm too lazy to research the differences, and this is fiction after all LOL

**Disclaimer **– Okay, okay, I stole him. I have taken Donald Flack, Jr., and I'm using him for my own purposes. I confess. But I don't apologize, 'cause I'm having way too much fun! But in all seriousness, with the exception of my AU characters, everything really belongs to Anthony Zuiker et al. Damn it.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY **

Don walked into Sullivan's, his body the customary contradiction of exhausted and keyed-up after what turned out to be a thirty-six-hour tour. He desperately needed a drink, so he waded through the Friday night crowd towards the bar.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," a woman apologized as she turned from the bar with her drink and nearly spilled it all over him, obviously not realizing he had been quite so close behind her.

"No harm done," Don offered with a dimpled grin. As their eyes met, he could swear she blushed.

She bit her lip, nodded quickly at him, then slid past and walked back over to the table she had been sharing with her friends.

"Damn," he swore under his breath, his eyes following her back to her table, before he turned back to the bartender as he took a seat at the bar. "She ever been in here before?"

Frankie shook his head. "Trust me, I wouldn't have forgotten. She's cute," he added as he turned to help another patron.

"Yeah." Don glanced over his shoulder once again towards the table she had returned to. She was rolling her eyes at something her friends had said, and cute did not begin to describe her for him. There had been something about her, something in her eyes when she had looked at him.

"Hey, man, sorry I'm late," offered Danny, taking a seat at the bar beside his best friend a couple of minutes later.

"Not a problem. I was late getting away anyway. This Rollins case is turning into a headache. You up for some pool?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Beer, Danny?" Frankie asked he returned to their end of the bar.

"No, thanks, I'm on in a couple hours. Just a soda."

"And you, Flack?"

"The usual."

They waited for their drinks then the two cops headed back and secured a pool table.

"Somethin' botherin' you, man?" Danny asked as they played, noticing his friend was definitely distracted by something.

"No, I'm fine."

Messer followed his best friend's gaze then, which he discovered had fallen on a beautiful girl sitting at a table with a couple of girlfriends. She was laughing at something, and Danny could see why Flack was entranced. "_She's_ definitely fine. Who is she?"

Don turned back to him, shaking his head. "Don't know."

Danny missed his next shot, so he set his queue down and took a sip of his soda while Don set up his shot. He took the opportunity to look back over at the girl Don had been watching. Chin length auburn hair, hanging in waves. A cute button nose. She was dressed casually in jeans and a v-neck red sweater, both of which seemed to emphasize her curves. "Is that a Jerusalem cross? You don't see many of 'em 'round here."

Don missed his shot, distracted by the proclamation. "What?"

Danny shrugged. "I remember seeing one a couple years ago on a case. You can get 'em here, but usually someone only gets one if they've actually been to Israel."

"What's your point?"

He raised his eyebrows at his best friend's tone. Flack sounded almost defensive or angry that Danny had noticed anything about her. "Nothin'. I'm just sayin'."

"Monroe know you spend your time in bars studying other women?"

"I was just making an observation. You've been staring at her since we started playing. You're obviously interested."

"I'm sorry. She bumped into me at the bar earlier and there – I don't know. There's just something about her."

"So, go talk to her."

"She's not the kind of girl that wants to get picked up in a bar, Dan."

"I didn't suggest you take her out to the back alley. She _definitely_ doesn't look like _that _kind of girl. Unlike Devon," Messer smirked.

"It's been a while. You can lay off now."

"C'mon, Flack, not one of your brighter moments and you know it. She was definitely a little … vapid."

"Like every woman you dated before Lindsay was worth writin' home about."

"Okay, okay, point taken. But c'mon, you're better off, right? Now you're free to – I don't know, explore other possibilities." He glanced in the direction of the woman Don had been watching, then proceeded to make his next few shots as Don considered what he had said. He was lining up another when his cell buzzed indicating a text message. He pulled it off his belt and sighed.

"What?"

"DOA down on the subway. Mac needs me in now. I'll see ya later, huh?"

"Yeah. Have a good shift."

Don watched his friend head off, then he hung up their queues and walked back over to the bar.

"Another Guinness, Flack?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah, thanks, man."

"Long day?"

"Long tour. I'll tell ya, Frankie, sometimes I don't know why I do this."

"I would've thought after that big drug bust way back when you could've got out of the homicide business."

"Believe it or not, I chose to stay in."

Frankie got his drink and set it in front of him. "Looks like your day is about to look up, my friend." He glanced to the detective's left. "Another – what did you call it – Torpedo, beautiful?"

Don glanced up to find the woman from earlier standing beside him.

She smiled at Frankie. "Please. Not many places stock B&B. You're my new favourite bartender."

"A girl after my own heart," Frankie replied. "You're _my_ new favourite customer. I'll get that drink for ya."

She bit her lip as she waited, tapping her hand on the bar. Quickly realizing that Don was staring at her, she looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Not a problem," he replied with a smile.

When Frankie returned, he set a pint in front of Don and the Torpedo in front of the woman.

As she reached into her pocket, Don reached up and touched her arm, stopping her. "It's okay. I got this." He nodded toward Frankie to put it on his tab.

Frankie walked away to serve another customer, leaving the woman with no recourse.

"Where I come from, a gentleman never lets a beautiful woman pay for a drink," Don explained.

"Well, while I'm relieved to see that chivalry really isn't dead, letting me pay for a drink would not knock the world off its axis. And as I recall, _I _was the one who almost spilled my drink all over your suit earlier. _I_ should be buying a round for _you_."

"Please tell me you're not a lawyer," he teased her.

"No," she laughed. "Why? You have something against lawyers?"

"I'm a homicide detective. We don't always get along."

"Ah. Well, never fear. I, uh – I work for an insurance company. Noelle Hansen." She extended her hand.

He shook her hand gently. "Don Flack. Can you sit for a minute?"

She quickly glanced over at her friends, then shrugged, trying her best to appear nonchalant as she said, "Sure." She took a seat on the stool next to him, bringing her drink to her lips for a sip.

"I've never known a woman to request B&B," Don commented.

"It's my father's fault. He discovered it a long time ago on a trip to Detroit. I've found very few places that stock it."

He nodded. "So, which insurance company do you work for?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Uh, Fisher-Mathews."

"The building down from the 2-5?" he asked.

She matched his smile, nodding at the reference.

"My dad was a constable in the precinct when I was a kid, so I spent a lot of time around that block. He drilled it into my head that if I was ever off wandering, just to look for the building with the weather beacon on top and once I got there, the station was just a block up the street."

"My dad worked for Fisher-Mathews until he retired, so I used to sometimes come into the city on Saturdays with him. I remember playing around the 2-5."

"So, you grew up here in New York?"

"Yes. Midtown born and raised."

"And now you work for Fisher-Mathews, too. And, what, just out with the girls to unwind after a long week?"

Again, she hesitated. "Something like that."

"I hear ya." He took a sip of his beer.

"Your job must be pretty intense. I imagine there must be a constant adrenaline rush when you're on duty."

"Sometimes. That part doesn't bother me, though. What gets me sick and tired is the stupidity out there, ya know? Seeing people hurt other people because of money, or jealousy, or because they're kids with no parents 'round to teach 'em any better."

"Hmm. Well, that I can definitely understand. Everything's changed since we were kids, huh?"

"My father never would've let me get away with half the things the kids pull these days," he laughed.

"Yeah, mine either."

The conversation flowed easily between the two. They were sitting pretty close as they chatted. She had an arm resting on the bar and every once in a while, her hand would gently touch his hand or his arm. He was more than encouraging. An he was surprised when he glanced at his watch during a pause in conversation and noticed that forty-five minutes has passed. He looked back up at Noelle to find her brow furrowed as she, too, had noticed the time. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, no. I just – My friend's got to catch a train in half an hour. We were planning to leave right about now."

"Oh." He was disappointed. It had been a long time since he had found it so easy to be with someone and he was sorry to see the evening end.

Noelle did not consider herself very talented in the art of reading men, but she felt pretty confident that he was not grateful to hear she had to go. So, she took a chance: "But I, uh – I actually have another couple hours before my last train pulls out, so I can just tell them to go on ahead without me."

"I'll make sure you get to the station safely," he assured her with a smile.

"In that case, I'll be right back." She wavered for a moment, the headed back over to her friends.

"I take back my initial judgment. She's beyond cute. You get her number?" Frankie asked while Don sipped his Guinness.

Don flashed his dimpled grin. "Better. She's not leaving yet. She's just telling her friends to take off," he explained.

Frankie raised his eyebrows. "Looks like your day's definitely looking up."

"It certainly is. Put their drinks on my tab, huh?" He stood and waited for Noelle to return, then suggested they grab a table.

They sat together in an out-of-the-way booth. Soon they were completely oblivious to the rest of the patrons in the bar as they once again became engrossed in conversation. They found they had a lot of things in common, from their backgrounds to their tastes in music and movies. She looked so beautiful when she laughed, and her sense of humour was very similar to his, he noticed. She was definitely different from most of the women he had an opportunity to encounter in his daily life.

Before they knew it, the time was closing in on Noelle's last train out. Glancing at her watch, she sighed. "I gotta get going."

"If you let me drive you home, we can hang out a while longer."

"That's really sweet, but my place is out of your way. I'm just going to jump on the subway and I'll be home in twenty minutes."

"Well, when can I see you again?" Don asked.

For yet another time that evening, he noticed her hesitate.

"Noelle –"

"Look, Don, I – " She bit her lip as if contemplating something, then smiled. "I, uh – I'd love to see you again, too."

He flashed her a grin. "What about tomorrow?" He looked at his watch. "Well, I guess later today. Dinner?"

She felt her knees weaken a little at his eagerness. "Dinner. Sure," she agreed, not even considering.

"Great."

"Okay." She gave him her number, which he promptly programmed into his cell phone.

He gave her another of his gorgeous grins. "Cool. I'll, uh – I'm just gonna go settle up then I'll walk you to the station."

He went over to the bar to settle his tab with Frankie, then he ushered Noelle out of Sullivan's and guided her down the street towards the subway station. At the top of the steps leading down to the subway, they stood, both reluctant to call it a night.

"So, you must know Astor's, right?" Don asked.

"Of course."

"How 'bout we head there for dinner?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll just meet you – it's like a five minute walk from my apartment."

"All right. Seven?"

"Sure."

He flashed her another smile. "You know, I'd feel a lot better if you let me take you home…"

"It's a twenty minute train ride. My apartment's a block from the station so I'll be fine," she assured him.

"All right. All right. Just, uh … Be careful, okay? And I'll see ya later." Don hesitated for a moment before he finally leaned over and kissed her cheek, lingering just a second longer than necessary beside her. "Goodnight."

Noelle felt butterflies in her stomach fluttering even faster at his close proximity than they had before.

And with that, she grudgingly headed down to catch the subway and he hesitantly walked off back towards headquarters to get his car, both anticipating their date.


	2. First Date

**A/N **Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy 

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY **

"Yeah, Detective Flack," Don answered his cell as he pulled off the highway.

"Hey, man. I'm coming off the worst shift and Linds has taken the kids to visit my parents. You up for some handball tonight?" Danny invited.

"Sorry, Danno, Not tonight. I got plans."

"Yeah? What's goin' down? You didn't get called in on that shooting up by Washington Heights, did ya?"

"Nope. I've got a date."

"A date? Nah, you kiddin' me? The chick from Sullivan's?" his best friend teased him.

"Yeah."

"So much for not pickin' the girl up."

"It's not like that. After you left, she came up to the bar where I was just hanging out and…Well, we started talking and ended up practically closing the place down."

"Well, I guess I'll let it slide then. Good luck, man."

Don chuckled. "Thanks, man. I'll talk to ya tomorrow."

Ten minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot by the water, running just a little late. He chastised himself as he saw Noelle standing by the door of the restaurant waiting for him. He hoped she had not been waiting long or fearing she had been stood up. He got out of his SUV, taking a deep breath, and wondering why he was nervous. Women were not supposed to make him nervous. However, Noelle was different. She was actually intelligent. And God, she was funny. And he was not even thinking about how to get her into bed at the end of the night, despite the fact the he was incredibly attracted to her.

"Hey, doll. Sorry I'm late," he apologized as he approached her.

"I haven't been here long. I hope traffic wasn't too bad for you coming all the way down here."

"It was worth it." He smiled, taking in her cranberry coloured cashmere cross-over sweater and dark-wash jeans, and white heeled sandals that looked like they could be used as a weapon if he did anything wrong. "You look amazing."

She blushed. "So do you." She had looked him over on his approach. Dressed in jeans and a white button-down, he surpassed amazing. Part of her still had not figured out how she had ended up on a date with someone like him.

They went inside, Don's hand finding the small of her back unconsciously. They chatted easily while they waited a few minutes for a table. Finally, they were led to a table by the window. As the waitress left them alone to peruse the menu, they both took in the view – it was a clear evening, and the setting sun dancing on the river was beautiful.

"I don't think I could ever move somewhere where there was no water nearby," Noelle said a little wistfully.

"So, let me guess, your favourite vacation destination involves water."

She shrugged with a smile. "Hmm. Well, I've got three favourites: Vancouver, New Orleans and Jerusalem. Two out of three fulfill the requirement. But Jerusalem has enough other stuff going for it."

"Man, Jerusalem. That must've been amazing. Being in a place with that much history."

"It was pretty overwhelming."

The waitress returned to take their order, then left them alone again.

"So, where are you off to next?" Don asked, sitting back in his chair. "Israel's going to be hard to top, I bet."

"Hmm. I don't know yet. Where's your favourite place?" she said.

He considered her question. "That's tough. Probably Pensacola, Florida."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No. Why?"

She laughed softly. "It's just…Well, on the same road trip that took me to New Orleans, I ended up in Pensacola. We were just going to drive in for lunch then head out, but I fell in love with the town and we decided to stay for a night. We splurged on this Gulf-view suite and just hung out by the pool and walked along the beach. And to this day, I've wanted to go back there."

Don smiled. "Yep. Pretty much my definition of heaven. But New Orleans is pretty damn cool. Jazz playing in the middle of the afternoon, Bourbon Street after dark…"

"Drinking in the streets," she laughed. "I had no idea you could do that there until our first night on Bourbon Street."

Once their dinner arrived, the conversation flowed from travel to the city to him regaling her with stories of some of his weirdest crime scenes. They split a dessert, then she invited him back to her place for coffee.

Don had come to know her well enough to know that her invitation up to her place was _just_ for coffee. And that was fine with him. He was game for anything that kept the evening going, while she thought it would be better to tell him everything she had been holding back where they hahad some privacy.

"Uh, cappuccino, latté, coffee?" she asked as she ushered him inside.

He shrugged. "Whatever you're having is fine."

She walked into the kitchen and pulled a pitcher of water out of the fridge then started pulling cups out of the cupboard while he took a moment to glance around her place. He liked the tasteful décor, the dark wood of the furniture, the classic style and colours. He also noticed an electric piano along one wall. "You play?" he asked as he returned to join her in the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah, when I get the chance. Since I was about ten." She moved past him and opened up another cupboard to pull out the necessary elements to make the cappuccinos.

He just watched her as she started to make the drinks, the ease with which she moved through her own space, how cute she looked in bare feet, standing on her tip-toes to reach something in her upper cupboard.

Not paying attention to where he had come to stand, she turned and just about smashed into him. He reached out to steady her, holding her arms gently and making no effort to let her go.

"This, uh – This is becoming a habit of mine," she said with a blush to her cheeks.

"I'm definitely not complaining," Don replied with a smile. His hand moved to her face and seeing the permission he was seeking in her eyes, he leaned down and did what he had been biding his time all evening for – he kissed her gently.

She responded, and when he went to deepen the kiss, she opened her mouth to grant his tongue entrance. It had been longer than she cared to remember since she had been kissed and he certainly knew how. His arms moved around her and as he held her flush against him, a warmth swelled in her abdomen.

Don reacted to her. The feel of her against him, the taste of her mouth, the sighs escaping from her were all turning him on. Without thinking things through, he picked her up and carried her down the hall, his mouth maintaining contact with hers as he searched for the door to her bedroom. Finding it, he kicked the door open gently and took her inside, setting her down on the bed and moving down beside her.

Noelle was completely caught up in him, in the way it felt to be kissed by him, wanted by him. She was having a difficult time putting any coherent thoughts together.

His hands cupped her face as he kissed her deeply, languidly. At first, he made no moves to undress her or move things any further along, but slowly his hands moved down her sides and snaked under the hem of her sweater and tank top. She whimpered when his hand made contact with skin.

She allowed herself to be touched, revelling in the feel of his hands on her, until finally she realized she had to put on the brakes before she let things go too far. "Wait," she whispered between kisses. "We, uh – Oh, God … We need to stop."

Don obliged, not about to push her further than she wanted to go, and chastising himself for letting himself lose control. He pulled back, his hands brushing her hair off her face as he looked at her. "Sorry, I –"

"You have nothing to apologize for," she assured him with a smile. Her expression sobered a bit, her heart pounding from both lust and nervousness. "I just need us to slow down. There are a lot of things you don't know, things that might make you change your mind about me and I can't – I can't let this happen if you're just gonna walk away."

"Then talk to me. 'Cause I know we've known each other barely twenty-four hours, but – Look, I don't know about you, but I see this going somewhere. At least, I want it to."

She smiled. "Me, too." She took a deep breath, sitting up and running a hand through her hair. She looked at him, his blue eyes drawing her in. "I, uh – Don, I have a daughter."

He didn't say anything, clearly surprised at the revelation. He sat up beside her, trying to absorb the news.

She furrowed her brow, inwardly chastising herself. "I'm so sorry. I should've told you this last night."

"Uh, how old is she?" he finally asked.

"She just had her first birthday two weeks ago. Her name's Ekaterina."

"That's a beautiful name. A little –"

"Ethnic?"

"I'm guessing her father…"

She smiled a little in amusement. "And mother. They're both Ukrainian."

A look of realization crossed his face. "She's adopted."

"Yes, she's adopted. Almost three months ago."

"Wow. Uh, where is she?"

"With my parents for the weekend. They've been wanting her to come and stay, and my friends from work have been trying to get me out – I'm just finishing up my parental leave right now."

Don hesitated, still trying to take this in. He noticed for the first time then the picture on her night stand of her and her daughter, and a smile crossed his face. "She's beautiful," he said, picking up the picture.

"She's an amazing little girl. I couldn't love her any more if I'd actually given birth to her."

"There's got to be more to the story here."

She nodded. "And you have a right to know everything before you get involved in – whatever _this_ is."

"So tell me."

"How 'bout that coffee first?" she suggested.

He nodded and followed her as she got up and headed back into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, they settled on her couch with coffees in hand. Don realized for the first time how unobservant he had been before, surprising considering his detective nature was usually on guard at all times. There were pictures all over of her daughter with her and various members of her family. There were also some toys laying around.

"Hmm, where to start."

"Not that this is an interrogation, but the beginning's always a good place," he suggested.

"Yeah. Well…I, uh – I had a hysterectomy two years ago. I'd been struggling for years with chronic pain, having surgery after surgery to try and buy time. I wanted kids more than anything, and I thought I could hang on until I found someone to settle down with. But it just didn't happen that way," she explained. "I, uh – I'd decided after my third laser surgery that regardless of whether I met anyone or not, adoption was probably going to be the way I became a mother. So, I started doing some research, started being a lot more fiscally responsible, and just set my mind to that goal. I figured that adopting a child was something I could do by myself, because even as a single mother, the life I would give that child would still be better than the life they would have otherwise."

She had not met his eyes the whole time she had been relating her story, almost afraid of his reaction, but as she took a breath, gathered her thoughts, she dared to look up at him.

Don offered an encouraging smile. He was blown away – both at what she had had to deal with over the past few years, and at the compassion she had. He could tell she was nervous about his reaction, and without even thinking, he reached over and took her hand, letting her know he was not about to bolt. A couple years ago, he probably would have. Back then Messer would have clapped him on his shoulder over beers after and said, "Good for you. Get out now." But whether it was maturity, or just a connection he felt with the woman before him, he had no desire to leave.

Her eyes widened slightly when he took her hand, but she soon visibly relaxed. "Once I got through the recovery two years ago, I just – I decided I didn't want to wait anymore. So, I started the process for an international adoption."

"And now you have Ekaterina."

She nodded with a smile.

"Wow. You had to go over there, right?"

"Yeah. I spent about six weeks in total just outside of Kiev. It was amazing. My grandmother was Ukrainian. Her parents were born there. So, it just seemed like a natural fit. In going there, I got to experience some of my own heritage, and it's something that she and I share. I had the option to change her name, but it was too beautiful. Although I do call her Katie most of the time. She's the greatest kid, Don. She's just so happy all the time."

"You said she's a year? So, she was about nine months when you got her."

"Yeah. Everything just kind of aligned. I mean, the process can be rather long and arduous, but I didn't find it that way. I mean, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"She's had no problems settling in here?"

"No. We bonded right away. And I gotta tell you, when we stepped off that plane here, my whole family was there waiting and they just took to her right away, and her to them. Everyone's been very supportive."

He took everything in, a little overwhelmed and awed. This certainly was not what he had bargained for when he had asked her out, but he knew as well as anyone that life threw curveballs. And this was not something that was going to make him walk away.

"I know this is a lot to process. Maybe I should've told you last night. I just – I didn't quite know how."

"It's okay. I mean, it's a little more than I was expecting, but – I still want to see where this goes."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She bit her lip.

He moved closer. A hand against her cheek, he leaned over and kissed her gently at first, then more passionately.

When they broke apart, both a little breathless, she sighed. "There's, uh – There's something else."

He smiled, his expression betraying some amusement. He knew what was coming – it had been what he was expecting her to tell him earlier when he had just about ravished her. "It's okay. There's no rush, all right?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I feel like I've led you on and –"

"You haven't." He kissed her forehead tenderly, then smiled at her. "I kinda figured, you know… You didn't really strike me as a casual sex kinda girl."

She laughed. "Yeah, well, _you_ kind of make me wish I was."

He chuckled softly. "Look, for the record, I'm not that guy either. I didn't go to Sullivan's last night lookin' to pick anyone up. But you should know, I'm definitely no virgin."

"That doesn't bother me. I just need some time to trust this. My life's taken a lot of twists and turns lately and it's all a little overwhelming."

"I can wait as long as you need to. I have a lot of respect for the choices you've made." He leaned over and met her lips again.

"This is really ironic," she said as she curled up against him. "The one place I always thought I'd never meet someone?"

Don chuckled. "A bar?"

"Yeah."

He stroked her arm, her back. He loved touching her and being close to her. The fact was, he could easily see himself falling in love with her, something that previously freaked him out when he dated a girl, but not this time – despite everything that would come along with being involved with her.

"What?" she asked, a little disconcerted by his silence.

He just shook his head with a soft laugh. "Nothing. So, I'm on until four tomorrow. You busy after?"

"No, but I'll have Katie back."

"I'd love to meet her."

"In that case, what'd ya have in mind?"

"Hmm. Take-out after work?" he asked, his lips trailing kisses along her neck.

"You keep doing that and you'll still be here tomorrow," she rasped.

Don smiled against her skin. Danny had wished him luck – he should have wished him willpower.


	3. Meeting Katie

**A/N **Wow. How did you guys get so lucky, three chapter in twenty-four hours?! hahaha While, I'm gone for the next couple of days, so it might be Tuesday or Wednesday before the fourth chapter gets up, but hopefully this will tide you over.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY **

"You okay there, Flack?" Danny asked, setting down his camera beside where he was crouched down by a blood pool and appraising his best friend.

Don escaped his thoughts and looked over at Messer. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, fine."

Danny shook his head with a grin. "You just met the girl two days ago. It's a little soon to be love-sick, ain't it?"

"Shut it, Messer."

"Ooh, hit a nerve."

Don scowled. "Don't you have a scene to process? I'm gonna go canvas the floor, see if any of the neighbours heard anything."

A couple hours later, as the friends rode down in the elevator of the apartment building together, Danny noticed that Don still seemed a little distracted. "C'mon, what's goin' on?"

Flack furrowed his brow. "She, uh – She has a kid."

"Oh. Wow. Wasn't expecting that," Messer commented.

The elevator doors opened, and the homicide detective and the CSI crossed the lobby floor and headed out to parking lot.

"She widowed or divorced?" Danny finally asked.

"Neither."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Really. Didn't seem the type to have a kid out of wedlock."

"She didn't. Her daughter's adopted."

"Wow. She adopted by herself? That's pretty big."

"Yeah. I'm meeting Katie tonight. Frankly, I'm a little nervous about it."

"Wow."

"Would you quit sayin' that?"

"What? I'm surprised. You meet this woman two days ago, now you're tellin' me she has a kid and you're about to meet her. This is movin' a little fast. I'm just tryin' to keep up."

"Noelle's amazing. I want this thing between us to work."

"And you're afraid if her daughter doesn't like you right off, she's gonna have second thoughts?"

Don shrugged. "Maybe."

"Listen, man, you're great with Olivia and Matteo, and you've got, what, eight nieces and nephews, so you don't gotta worry about bein' around this kid. Besides, don't you think it's a little soon for make-it-or-break-it events? If this Noelle likes you as much as you seem to like her, she's not gonna kick you to the curb based on one meeting."

"I don't know. I just know that I don't want this to end."

Danny smirked. "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

You haven't even really looked at a woman in longer than I can remember. It's like you gave up on the whole dating thing after the explosion."

"You try having a hole blown in your chest. Waking up beside some nameless stranger seems a little pointless after that."

He shrugged. "I'm not arguing with you there. Though, what was Devon?"

"Devon was some pent-up frustration."

Danny laughed. "Okay, okay. So, what, all of a sudden, you're thinkin' you're ready for the real thing? You want to settle down? I mean, the explosion was three years ago. This is just hittin' ya now?"

"Yeah, well, I didn't know Noelle existed three years ago."

"Oh, no way. You start talkin' soul mates and star-crossed lovers and all that Romeo and Juliet crap and I'll pull out my gun and shoot you where you stand."

Don laughed. "Careful, Messer, your wife and I are friends. We talk. But I'm not sayin' that. I'm just saying…Look, when something feels right, you should go with it, right? I mean, what made you get on a plane and fly to Montana when you and Linds were hardly speaking?"

Danny couldn't deny his reasoning. "I guess you gotta just go wit' your instincts, man."

A few hours later, Don knocked on Noelle's front door, fighting the nervousness that had been plaguing him all day. When the door opened, he flashed a smile. "The best Italian take-out you've ever had," he announced as she ushered him into her apartment. "And a 1992 bottle of Chateau Suzanne."

"I'm a cheap drunk, Don. You could get away with a lot of things with a 2007 Wolff Blass," she kidded.

He laughed softly, leaning down and kissing her cheek. "Duly noted. Where's Katie?"

"She's sleeping. She's got a bit of a cold and was a little fussy, so I put her down a while ago." She took the food from his hand and walked into the kitchen, where she set it on the counter. She then walked into her dining room and scrounged around in her china cabinet for her corkscrew.

Don came and stood in the doorway of the dining room, smirking when she spun around and walked right into his solid frame.

"Okay, now you're just doing that on purpose," she said as her cheeks tinged red.

"Damn straight." He dipped his head and captured her lips with his. The kiss, which started off as gentle and sweet, soon grew hungry. This woman who had been a stranger two days ago had quickly become a light in the very dark world he had found himself living in the past couple years and he could not deny that he liked it. He picked her up and backed into the kitchen, setting her on the counter. His hands moved to her face, holding her so he could deepen the kiss.

In response, she wrapped her legs around him, drawing him closer to her. She moaned into him, throwing her head back as his lips travelled down to her neck and hit her pulse point.

He brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her again deeply.

"Donnie, we have to stop," she said breathlessly after a while, pulling back. She smiled a little shyly. "You're going to make me break every rule I've ever made for myself."

He couldn't fight back the grin that crossed his lips. "I know this is happening kind of fast. I should be completely freaked out, but I'm not."

She ran a hand through his hair. "I'm wondering why I couldn't have met you a few years ago."

The sound of laughter filtered through the baby monitor that was sitting on top of her microwave stand.

Don smiled. "That's why."

She nodded with a knowing smile. She hopped down off the counter and took his hand, leading him down the hall to the second bedroom. She pushed open the door slowly.

Katie was standing in her crib, a bright smile on her face when her mother entered the room. She reached out her arms. "Up. Up."

"Hey, sweetie. Looks like you're feeling better. C'mere." Noelle eased the little girl out of her crib into her arms. She felt her forehead which was definitely cooler than when she had put her down earlier.

Katie buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck a little shyly when she saw the tall stranger accompanying her.

"Ekaterina, this is Don. He's Mommy's friend. Can you say 'hi'?"

The little girl shook her head vehemently, keeping her face hidden.

Don and Noelle both laughed softly.

"She's going through a shy phase right now," Noelle explained.

"Mama, down."

Noelle obliged, setting the little girl down on the floor and watching as she then toddled out into the living room.

"C'mon, I'll get Katie's dinner and we can eat."

By the end of the meal, Don was completely enamoured with Ekaterina. She seemed to have decided that maybe it was okay to acknowledge him and had even offered a few shy smiles while they ate. Then as her mother lifted her down out of her highchair, she ambled over to Don and took his hand, inviting him to play with her as she sat herself down on the living room floor with some toys.

While Noelle cleared the table, Don played with her little girl. For the first time, Katie seemed to notice the badge on his belt, forgotten as he had come straight from work. She pointed at it with an inquisitive look.

"You want to see this?" he asked, pulling it off and handing it to her.

She examined it closely, turning it over in her clumsy hands and tapping the shiny surface. "Pwetty," she smiled.

Noelle walked into the room and smiled when she saw Don bonding with her little girl. "Careful. She likes anything gold and shiny. She's going to cost some guy a fortune one day," Noelle kidded.

Don smiled at them both. "I don't mind."

Katie was soon occupied with some blocks she had sitting in front of her, so Don ruffled her hair before joining her mother on the couch.

Ekaterina played by herself Noelle and Don each enjoyed a glass of wine as well as each other's company. There was a heat building between them, but with Katie in the room, neither could act on it. Noelle was almost grateful – she wasn't sure she trusted her ability to restrain herself when she was so attracted to the man sitting next to her.

"You're great with her," Noelle commented.

"She makes it easy."

"But you've obviously been around a lot of kids."

"Well, I've got eight nieces and nephews, and my closest friends just had twins a few weeks ago."

"Wow. Newborn twins. I can't even imagine. I guess there's a part of me that regrets that I missed that time with Katie, but I can't complain." She looked over at her daughter affectionately for a moment, before turning back to her date. "I, uh – I appreciate how accepting you've been."

He shrugged. "It wasn't a difficult thing to do."

An obnoxious cell ring tone cut through the apartment.

"Sorry," Don sighed. He pulled his cell from his pocket and glanced at the call display. "Damn."

"What?"

"Precinct," he said, sitting up grudgingly to answer the call. "Yeah, Flack."

Noelle walked over and sat down next to her daughter on the floor as Don grunted a bunch of affirmatives and negatives into his cell. She could not help but chuckle softly at his clearly disgruntled tone.

A couple minutes later, he slammed his flip phone shut and looked at his new girlfriend apologetically. "I'm really sorry, doll, but I just got called back in. Break in a case we've been working for a while."

She nodded in understanding. "That's a good thing."

He shook his head a little incredulous at her reception of the news. "You're being great about this."

"Don, you're a homicide detective. I get that it's not exactly a nine-to-five, Monday to Friday gig." She kissed the top of her daughter's head, then stood and walked him to the door.

There in the hallway, he took her face in his hands and kissed her until she thought she would not be able to stand had he not been holding her.

"Uh – Hmm, yeah, uh – So, call me later?" she stammered, trying to regain her focus as he pulled on his jacket.

"You sure? Might be late."

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

He flashed her a dimpled grin then kissed her cheek. "Then I'll call ya later."

"Be safe, okay?"

"Always. Later, doll."

On the way back to 1 Police Plaza, Don decided that this guy better be guilty and he better crack in interrogation, otherwise there was going to be hell to pay for ruining his date. And crack he did – into a million pieces. As Danny and Don both laid into him, he tearfully confessed to killing his girlfriend earlier that morning in a fit of jealous rage.

Shaking his head incredulously, Don walked out into the corridor of the precinct with his best friend in tow. "These jerks never cease to amaze me," Flack muttered. "Her ex leaves her a message and the guy flies off the handle and stabs her?"

"You're just pissed off 'cause I paged you in the middle of your date," Danny kidded him. "How was it by the way? You meet the little ankle biter?"

"Yeah, I met her. She's a beautiful little girl."

Messer studied him for a moment. "Oh, no, not the kid, too. You're hopeless, Flack."

"What's going on?" Stella asked curiously as she passed by and heard Danny's comment.

Danny clapped Don on the shoulder. "Ask Romeo here. I gotta go finish off this report so I can get home before my wife puts a price on my head."

Don glared at his best friend as he walked off, then looked at Stella with a shrug. "He's sleep deprived. Newborn twins. You know."

"Uh-huh. What's going on, Flack?"

"Nothing, Stel. But I promise, if there _is _something going on, you'll be the _last_ to know. Well, maybe I'll put you on the list _before_ Messer. He's starting to piss me off." With that, he turned and walked off, leaving Stella a little dumbfounded.

"Romeo?" she asked the empty hallway.

"Ah, yes, Shakespeare's tragic hero. Fell in love with Juliet, and that was the end of him," Sid waxed poetically as he joined Stella in the corridor. "The ol' bard. This reminds me of a time in college when I was taking this English literature class and there was this—"

"I think I hear Mac calling," Bonasera cut in.

"Mac left hours ago, I believe."

"I meant Flack. Have a good night, Sid."

Sid shrugged and headed back down to the morgue.

Outside, Don took a breath. Maybe Danny was right. Maybe he _was _hopeless. There was no such thing as love at first sight, right? It was too early to be thinking about this woman all the time. It was crazy to miss her, to wonder how he could manipulate his schedule so he could see her again before too long. "Christ, Noelle. What are you doin' to me?" But he smiled then as he made his way to his SUV. Whatever she was doing, he hoped she did not stop anytime soon.


	4. Falling

**A/N **Thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed so far. Please be patient – this whole multi-chapter concept is new to me. The encouragement however has been overwhelming, so I will definitely continue on …

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY **

Flack sat at his desk trying to wade through the mountain of paper work that had been piling up due to his recent caseload. Well, that and the fact that whenever he did have some time at his desk, his mind kept wandering. He could not figure out what it was about Noelle that had managed to get so far under his skin so fast. She was definitely different from anyone that he had dated before. On one hand, she was a woman his mother would love; on the other, he knew that whenever they made love for the first time, there was the risk of spontaneously combusting.

He could not help but admire how she had chosen to live her life. She had seen her share of physical pain, that much he knew. But it had not stopped her from pushing forward and getting what she wanted most in the world. He had to wonder though if there was more that she had had to deal with that she had not yet disclosed. Having come through the explosion, he understand physical pain and everything that it could do to a person. But there was something else he saw in her eyes – a distant pain, some dream that had been dashed, or some other disappointment that maybe she was never going to be able to get over. Whatever it was, he wanted to make it go away. He only ever wanted her to be happy, and with each passing moment, he was realizing that he wanted to be the one to make it happen.

_It hasn't even been a week, you idiot_, he chastised himself. But never before had he been so comfortable with someone. They had talked late into the night both Friday and Saturday. No topic seemed off-limits, there were never any of those awkward pauses. And she could make him laugh, which he loved. And maybe it was because she was a mother, but she was so grounded. He saw his share of snobbish socialites and self-absorbed career-women in his line of work. Noelle was not obsessed with making or marrying money; her career was important to her but not at the expense of everything else. Her priority was her family and friends, and when it came down it, his was, too.

The ringing of his cell phone pulled him from his reverie. He picked it up and hit 'talk' without even glancing at the call display. "Detective Flack.".

"Hey, there. This a bad time?"

His work and his thoughts suddenly became mere memories at the sound of her voice. He set down his pen and sat back in his chair, the activity in the precinct fading into the background. "There's no such thing when you're calling."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Noelle teased him.

He chuckled. "Nah, just to you. What's goin' on?"

"I just got back from dropping Katie off at my brother and sister-in-law's for the night. My niece has been begging for a sleepover date with her little cousin. So, now I suddenly have the night free, and I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how I might spend it."

"I'm full of ideas," he said, his already sexy voice dropping about an octave it seemed.

"I don't doubt that, Detective."

"Seriously, I'm off in a couple hours. Why don't I swing by and pick you up? I'll take ya out for dinner."

"You don't have to do that. We could just stay in if you want."

"Ah, no, I have the perfect place in mind. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Okay, but are you going to give me a hint on where you're taking me?" she asked. "I need to know what to wear."

"Wear something dressy."

"That helps," she said sarcastically.

"You're not good with surprises, are ya, doll?" he teased her.

"I'm a little impatient. Okay, a _lot_ impatient. Unless it has to do with Katie, then somehow God's granted me all the patience in the world."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

Don hung up his phone, and sat back in his chair, grinning like an idiot.

"That look can only be traced back to a woman," Hawkes teased him as he flopped down in the visitor's chair beside Flack's desk a couple minutes later.

"You better have somethin' for me, man, or you can keep on moving."

Sheldon laughed. "Trace found on the vic goes back to the boyfriend's car. Should get you what you need."

Don took the folder Hawkes handed him and looked over the evidence report. "You have just made my day. I just might make it out of here on time."

"Hot date?"

"Yep."

Hawkes raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you were seeing anybody. Who is she?"

"Someone worthy of a hell of lot more than to be the talk of the precinct."

Sheldon got the message and dropped the inquiry – realizing also that his friend was definitely into this woman, whoever she was. They finished discussing the case, then he headed back to the Crime Lab.

Don got up and crossed the pit before coming to stand by the desk of one of his fellow homicide detectives. "Hey, A.J. Melinda's sister still work at Montenegro's?"

"She did last I heard."

"Think she can get me a table there tonight?"

"You just workin' as a cop to keep it real, Flack? Mel's sister can't even afford to eat there and she gets a crazy discount for workin' there," Craddock kidded.

"Can she get me the table or not?" Don pressed.

"I'll see what I can do. But I'm guessing Messer and I'll be dealing you out of the poker game for the next little while."

"Just please make the call, Craddock? It's important."

Thanks to a few phone calls and the cashing in of a couple favours, Don was able to swing a reservation for him and Noelle at Montenegro's, currently the hottest Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side. The dinner put a dent in his credit card, but it was well worth it. Noelle was overwhelmed by the gesture, evident in the awed and shy look on her face when they pulled into the parking lot. Though, the way she looked in the crimson strapless cocktail dress she wore almost made him cancel their reservation and pulled her back into the apartment.

"Dinner was amazing," she said when they returned to her place hours later. She hung up his suit jacket and her own coat and ushered him into her living room. As they sat down on the couch, she smiled at him, a smile that just about brought him to his knees. "Definitely the best date ever."

"I'm glad you had a good time," he replied with a flash of his dimpled grin.

"I did, but not because of the restaurant, as fabulous at it was." She moved closer, leaning up and meeting his lips. "It was definitely the company."

He brought his lips to hers again, kissing her languidly.

Noelle reached over and grasped his tie to pull him even closer against her. After a few more heated kisses, however, she reluctantly broke away. "You are going to be the death of me, Donnie," she sighed.

"Not if I go first, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead lightly.

She turned around so she was leaning back against him and stretched out on the couch. "Tell me something nobody else knows about you."

"I'm the detective. Aren't I supposed to be the one doing the interrogating?" he countered jokingly.

"This isn't an interrogation. Besides, I believe all's fair, so you'll get your chance." She pulled his arm around her and intertwined their fingers. "C'mon. I know that you're third generation NYPD, you have a brother and two sisters, you're quite the sommelier…Tell me something else, but something that only I get to know."

He considered the question for a few moments, then a wry smile crossed his face. "I cheated on an algebra exam in eleventh grade."

Noelle laughed. "For me it was world geography, ninth."

Don chuckled. "That mean I should never count on you for directions?"

"'Bout as much as I should count on you to solve a linear equation."

He kissed the top of her head. "Your turn."

She was quiet in her contemplation for a minute. "When I was traveling in India during my senior year of college, my friends and I met up with these two guys from South Africa while we were in Varanasi. They were just starting out their own year-long trip around the world. One of the guys and I clicked, and on his last night in town, he asked me come with him. For twelve long hours, I seriously considered it. I thought it would be great to just drop out of my life for a while. But in the end, I sent Leo on his way without me, and six weeks later, I was back at Sarah Lawrence."

Don thought about her admission. "I gotta say, I feel sorry for the guy."

"You're sweet."

"So, what made you decide not to go?"

"Well, I was barely six weeks into what was supposed to be a three-month trip, and I was already homesick. I couldn't imagine doing it three more times over. And I would have had to come home eventually – there was no way I was going to settle down for the rest of my life on another continent." She bit her lip. "Things happen for a reason. If I'd gone, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't have Katie. I wouldn't be sitting here with you."

He leaned down and kissed her temple. "I went through three physical therapists after the explosion. Two quit after I nearly brought them to tears and the other one I fired when I didn't think she was pushing me enough. I was so damn angry for a while. I thought I'd never get off the desk and back in the field, and when you bleed blue, that's not a great feeling. But I'm a better cop now. I'd like to think I'm a better friend. Three years ago, I wouldn't've been any good to you or Katie."

Noelle shifted so they were face-to-face. She reached up and touched his cheek, her hand tenderly sliding over his skin. "So, now, here we are."

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently.

She had moved into his arms, treasuring the feel of him against her and nearly getting lost in his embrace when her phone rang. It startled her, causing them both to laugh slightly before she grabbed the cordless handset from the end table. She furrowed her brow when she saw the call display. "Hello?"

Seeing the look on her face, Don's hand went to her shoulder.

"No, Jennie, I'm glad you called. I'm going to come pick her up, okay?"

Realizing something must be wrong with Katie, Don watched Noelle with concern as she finished her conversation with her sister-in-law. He could see that she was upset, and as she hung up the phone, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Ekaterina's got a fever. I thought she was over the cold. She seemed so much better. But Jen said she started fussing a couple hours ago and she finally took her temperature and it's up over a hundred. I'm sorry, Don, but I have to go. I mean, they offered to keep her, but I'll just worry, and –"

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You don't owe me any apologies. But you're obviously upset, so why don't you let me take you?"

Noelle started to fight him on the suggestion. Not because she did not appreciate it, and certainly not because she did not think he was right. She was just not sure she wanted to subject him to her family – or herself to the questions and knowing looks – this early. However, her concern for her daughter overruled everything and she gave in quickly. She rushed to change into jeans and a t-shirt, then they left.

Half an hour later, Don was being hastily introduced to Noelle's older brother, Mark, and his wife Jennifer. Don conversed genially with the young couple while Noelle packed her daughter up. He felt a bit of the overprotective big brother vibe resonating off of Mark, though they were not there long enough for there to be any verbal warnings. Being a big brother himself, Don understood the position, and knew that the only way to prove himself would be to stick around and treat his new girlfriend well.

When Don woke up the next morning, his arms and legs were intertwined with Noelle's – though not the way in which he had earlier envisioned when he had planned the date. They were curled up on the living room sofa, both having collapsed around five a.m. in relief after Katie finally fell asleep, her fever finally broken and her crying subsided. With the scent of Noelle's jasmine shampoo now invading his senses because of her proximity, he got his bearings. He heard her sigh in her sleep, and he stayed put, his arms tightening around her. He realized that even with a sick child thrown into the mix and the unexpected introduction to more of her family members, Noelle had definitely called it last evening: the best date ever.


	5. No Matter What

**A/N **Thank you to all of you have been reading this fic! The reviews have been positive, and I'm glad that you're enjoying Flack and Noelle's story. Believe me, there's lots more to come!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Don pounded the keys on his computer in frustration, and then pushed his chair away from the desk when the machine just beeped back obstinately at him. He was tempted to yell a bunch of obscenities in return, but settled for muttering, "Stupid computer."

"Just a tip: they don't react well to being called names."

His head shot up and he was surprised to find Noelle standing by his desk. His frustration left him and he grinned. "Now, you are a sight for sore eyes." He stood up and leaned down to kiss her cheek, not caring about the ribbing he might get from his fellow detectives later on.

"Have you even been home?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not yet," he replied, clearly exhausted. And guilty. He had cancelled out on her the night before. The fact that he still had nothing on the case that had kept him on duty for the past twenty-seven hours riled him. Spending the evening with her would not have set him back, and he hated that he had essentially stood her up in vain.

"And I bet you haven't eaten."

He shook his head. "Me and coffee, we're best friends."

"Sit." She raised her eyebrows when he hesitated, her expression ordering him. When he finally obliged, she sat down in the visitor's chair and pulled a submarine sandwich out of her bag and slid it across the desk to him, followed by a can of soda.

Don's eyes widened. Even the married guys' wives rarely stopped by to bring them a meal; he and Noelle had barely been dating a month, and she had come all the way down to headquarters to bring him lunch. He was more than touched by the gesture, especially when it appeared he was also being let off the hook for the night before. "You're pretty incredible, you know that?"

She blushed crimson, lowering her eyes.

He reached over and took her hand. "Sorry 'bout last night, doll."

She looked at him then with a shrug. "No problem. I'm getting used to this. Cancellations, running out on me. I try not to take it personally," she said lightly.

Don detected a hint of insecurity in her tone which he quickly eradicated when he looked at her earnestly and professed, "Believe me, I would have much rather been with you."

"Good answer, Detective."

When Noelle smiled at him, he got lost for a moment. He had spent most of his off-duty time in the past month hanging out at Noelle's with her and her daughter. The tough, almost arrogant detective from Queens had become increasingly attached to the little girl. He had never dated a woman with a kid before, and he had never imagined he would want to, but now he could not imagine things any other way. And it was in the quiet moments, when he got to watch Noelle interact with her daughter, that he felt more and more connected to the woman.

Of course, being with a woman who had a child had its own challenges. Noelle was getting ready to go back to work in the next couple weeks, which meant that the time she had alone to bond with her daughter was quickly coming to an end. It made her reluctant to leave Katie with a sitter, even family members, so she and Don could go out alone. And he was not sure if it was having Katie asleep in the next room that was making Noelle hesitant, but despite the sense he got that she wanted it to, their physical relationship had not progressed any further than some incredibly heated make-out sessions. He was not about to complain. He could not deny that he wanted to sleep with her, but for the first time in his life, he was in a relationship that was not based on sex, and he was not about to screw it up.

Realizing Noelle was watching him, he just shook his head with a small laugh. "Where's Katie?" he asked.

"She's down at Fisher-Mathews. I brought her in to visit everyone and a couple friends happily agreed to watch her while I came down here."

He nodded, then leaned over and kissed her cheek before he unwrapped the sandwich she had brought. He realized that he really could not remember the last time he had eaten. He picked up half of the sub, and then slid the other half over to her.

"I'm okay," she said. "It's all yours."

He took a bite, taking the time to study her. She was beautiful. Passionate. Thoughtful. It was the thoughtfulness that often amazed him. His job had made him cynical – everyone always wanted _something _it seemed. But not her. At least, nothing he did not want to give.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, pulling him from his thoughts once again.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"What time do you think you'll get out of here?"

"Hopefully in a few hours. Either this case is gonna break, or I'm going to have to leave it for a while, get some sleep."

"Hey, Flack! Can you come take a look at this?" Angell yelled across the pit, holding up an evidence report in her hand.

"Stay right here," Don requested of his girlfriend. "I'll be right back."

Noelle watched him walk away, then took a deep breath. It had been a spur of the moment decision to come visit, one she had questioned on the subway the entire way down. But now, she was glad she had come, if only to have him for ten minutes.

She noticed a couple of picture frames sitting on his desk. She reached over and picked one up, smiling at the faces staring back at her. She recognized the guy in the picture with Don as the man who been playing pool with him the night they met at Sullivan's. Danny, his best friend. She had expressed a desire to meet his friends. He had kidded that he did not want her to change her mind about him yet by judging him by the company he kept. However, he finally relented and a dinner was in the works to meet Danny and Lindsay.

She set the framed photo down, then picked up the other. She gasped, nearly dropping the picture. "Oh, my, God," she whispered as she took in the picture of Don in his dress blues with what she guessed was his family all around him. She looked again at the man standing next to him, an arm proudly around his shoulders, her brow furrowing. How had she never known his name?

"They gave me a commendation after this big drug bust a couple years ago. Of course, the whole family had to come," Don sighed as he took his seat again.

Noelle did not respond, not even hearing him, her eyes glued to the picture.

"Hey, beautiful, you still with me?"

"What?" She glanced up, catching his curious expression. "Oh, uh, yeah. You have a lovely family. You and your brother look so much alike."

"Don't tell him that," he kidded. "You really okay there? You look a little pale."

"Oh, I'm fine." She bit her lip. "I, uh – I guess I should let you get back to work."

"Thanks for lunch, doll. You made my day."

She was touched by the sincerity in his voice. Setting the picture back down on his desk, she gave him her full attention. "It was my pleasure."

"Why don't you come over after work?"

"You need to sleep," she pointed out with a knowing smile. She leaned over then to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head so he could capture her lips. She was surprised, but quickly found herself responding. "Call me when you wake up," she said a little breathlessly. "Bye."

Don watched her walk away, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He glanced around then, catching the smirks and stares of his fellow detectives. "You goons ain't got work to do?" he asked good-naturedly. He really didn't care about the onslaught of razzing he was about to get, though. Not when life was this good.

Outside the precinct, Noelle stood for a moment in contemplation. She finally took out her cell phone and hit the number on speed dial.

"Hansen Microsystems, Mark speaking."

"Mark, it's me. What was the name of the police officer involved in Mom's case?"

"I don't remember. I was five, Noli."

"You were seventeen during the trial."

"I was high during the trial. What's this all about?"

"I think it was Don's father," she explained softly.

Mark did not say anything for a moment, and Noelle actually pulled the phone away from her ear to see if they had been disconnected. Finally, though, she heard him sigh. "You make it sound like this is some big secret. It's not. It's a matter of public record. All Don has to do is punch your name into a computer and he'll get the whole story."

"This isn't about what happened to Mom."

"No, but it _is _about Mom, right? Look, you're all grown up now, Noli. You've got a kid of your own, so you understand now that parents have to make choices. You're going to have to decide what you're going to tell Katie about her background. Mom had her own choice to make."

"I think I should take the test, Mark."

"Christ. Why now? What does it matter? What are you going to do if it comes back the way you've always been afraid it will?"

"I don't know."

"Look, I don't mean to sound harsh. I'm sorry. You know that whatever you decide to do, I'll back you up all the way. I just want you to think long and hard about this. Things are going so well for you right now. I've never seen you so happy, and I don't know what bringing all of this up is going to prove. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Or Mom and Dad?"

"No, but they've been waiting for this to come down for thirty years. This is your decision to make, it's your right."

"Sometimes I wish it wasn't."

"Have you talked to Don about any of this?"

"No."

"Noli…"

"I know. I know. I just thought laying a kid on him was enough to start with."

"True enough. But listen, this guy likes you. Maybe he even loves you. You should be honest with him. There's nothing here that's going to make him turn and run. Not if he's as decent a guy as you seem to think he is."

"I need a drink," she sighed.

"Trust me, sis, that's the last thing you need."

"I'm falling in love with him, Mark. I just don't want to screw this up. But you're right, I have to tell him. Because this whole thing is still messing with me. I – I really think I need to take that test."

"Okay. If that's what you feel you need to do…You want me to come with you when you talk to Mom and Dad?"

"I would be eternally grateful. And Jennie should be there, too. She's as much a part of this family as we are."

"So, where does that leave Don?"

Noelle glanced over her shoulder at the front entrance to 1 Police Plaza. "Hopefully, standing right next to me. But that might be a little too much to ask this early into everything. I still have some things to figure out. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Noli. Always remember that."

She bit back tears. "Even if…?"

"No matter what."

"I love you, too. Bye." She flipped her cell closed and threw it back in her bag, sniffling back the tears that were threatening to fall. She wanted to feel Don's arms around her, if only for a moment. But she fought the urge to run back inside, knowing it would raise too many questions that she was not sure she was ready to answer – especially when Don was so exhausted that it would be cruel to ask him to process her past. So, instead, she headed for the subway station. She knew that one look at Katie, one hug from that beautiful little girl, would make everything okay. At least for today.


	6. Confessions

**A/N **For those missing my one-shots, here is brief little snippet of D/L. And for those wondering about Noelle's past, the cards are all out on the able…

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"So, what do you know about her?" Lindsay asked as she sat down on the couch and settled into Danny's side, dinner finally baking in the oven, the table all set. All she wanted was to relax for a few moments and enjoy the rare quiet with both twins sound asleep and Danny all to herself.

"Nothin' I haven't told ya already. But I gotta say, I've never seen Flack like this," Messer replied.

Lindsay smiled. "I knew some woman was going to be smart enough to snatch him up. Although, did you ever think that maybe something would happen between him and Stella?"

Danny looked at her incredulously. "Don and Stel? Nah. No way. I mean, yeah, they're friends, but…No way."

She just laughed. "What time did you tell them to be here?"

"Six thirty. And you know they'll be late, having to pack up a kid and all. I mean, when was the last time we got anywhere on time?"

"Hmm. So, we've got at least half an hour. What will we do with all that time?" She turned and looked at him suggestively.

"Don't look at me like that, Montana. You know I ain't got any self-control when you look at me like that."

"I was kind of counting on that, Danny." She stood up and extended her hand to him.

He was off the couch like a shot, practically pulling her down the hall to their bedroom. Inside, clothes flew in every direction, kisses searing, each touch setting the other on fire…

And then the doorbell rang. And a child wailed. And Danny shook his head and growled in frustration. "You gotta be kiddin' me."

"They'll be late, huh?" Lindsay cried, jumping up and gathering her clothes, trying to put them back on as quickly as they had been taken off.

"You get the door, I'll get the screamer," Danny suggested.

She ran over and looked in the mirror, quickly smoothing out her top and running a hand through her mussed up hair. Her cheeks were flushed. She hoped their guests would not instantly conclude that she and Danny had been in the throes just now.

While Danny went into the nursery to tend to the crying twin, Lindsay crossed the apartment and opened the front door. Despite knowing the Don was going to be showing up with his new girlfriend and her daughter, she was not quite prepared for the picture in front of her – Don had the little girl in his arm and she was holding onto him for dear life. Meanwhile, his girlfriend looked a little nervous.

Lindsay smiled, quickly setting the newcomer at ease. "Hey guys. Come on in. It's nice to finally meet you, Noelle."

The trio moved inside the apartment. Don tried to set Katie down on the ground, but she refused to release her arms from around his neck, so he held on.

"Same here, Lindsay. I've heard a lot about you. Thanks so much for inviting us."

"Well, we would have done this a long time ago, but Flack here, was dragging his heels," she teased her friend. She looked at the little girl, then. "And you, beautiful, you must be Katie."

Katie refused to look at the stranger, continuing to hide her face in the crook of Don's neck.

Noelle looked at her a little apologetically. "If it's any consolation, she did the same thing the first time she met Don."

"Yeah, well, that's understandable. We all had that reaction," Danny ribbed his best friend as he joined everyone in the entryway with Matteo in his arms. "Hi, Noelle. I'm Danny. How ya doin'?"

"I'm fine, thanks. And I'm guessing this is Matteo? Oh, he's so beautiful. Look, Katie, see the baby?"

Ekaterina still refused to acknowledge the new people, so Don just patted her back in assurance and carried her into the living room where they all headed.

Noelle took a seat next to her boyfriend on the sofa, feeling a little out of sorts. Don had sprung the evening on her with a call mid-afternoon. She had planned on making dinner for him herself then talking to him about why she had been a little distant the last few days. Instead, he explained that Danny had insisted they come over tonight, and she had not felt she could refuse. She wanted to meet his friends, after all, and it was not like her past was going anywhere.

"Can you get you guys anything to drink?" Lindsay offered. "A glass of wine, beer –"

"I'd love a glass of wine," Noelle cut in, inwardly chastising herself for the quick response.

"Sure. Red or white?"

"I'm fine with either."

"Don, you want a beer, man?" Danny asked.

Flack nodded as he continued to quietly try to coax Katie to loosen the death grip she had around his neck. "It's okay, sweetheart. These are my friends. And they have _two_ babies."

Katie pulled back a bit and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Do you want to meet the babies?"

She nodded slowly then, still a little apprehensive.

"Noelle, do you want to take Matteo while we get your drinks?" Danny offered, thinking maybe Katie would take to the baby a little better if her mother were the one holding him.

"Sure." She eagerly took the six week old from his father. Once she had him settled in her arms, she looked over at her daughter. "See, Katie? Isn't he cute?"

Don shifted Katie so she was seated on his lap facing her mother and the baby. She tentatively reached over and touched the baby's arm, her eyes lighting up when she realized he was like a real-life doll.

"He's in love with her," Lindsay whispered to her husband as they stood in the doorway and took in the picture of Don and Noelle with the two children.

"Yeah, well, I think the feeling's mutual there, Montana."

The two couples enjoyed dinner together immensely. Lindsay and Noelle became fast friends, bonding over their children, and Danny had to admit that he liked his best friend's new flame. She was a sweet girl, and she clearly adored Don. Although the CSI in Messer could not help but wonder if there was something that was bothering her. He quickly chalked it up to nerves over meeting his friends and left it alone.

Noelle helped Lindsay clear the table, then eagerly accepted when her hostess asked if she wanted to give Olivia her bottle while she fed Matteo. While the women adjourned to the nursery with Katie in toe, Danny and Don settled in the living room, each with a beer in hand.

"So?" Don asked simply.

"I like her. She's nice. Doesn't seem like a New Yorker," he commented with a laugh.

"Yeah, she's great."

"This is getting serious for you, ain't it?"

Before Don could answer, Katie came toddling into the living room. She reached her arms up for him to pick her up, which he did as he had come to do without thinking about it anymore. As she burrowed into his lap, he looked at his best friend. "Yeah, it's gettin' serious."

Inside the twins' room, Lindsay appraised her new friend. "Don's a great guy. I'm glad he found you," she said honestly.

Noelle was touched by the profession. "Thank you. He _is_ pretty wonderful, isn't he?"

Lindsay nodded. "He's always been a really great friend. He's one of those people that's just really easy to talk to, you know?"

At that Noelle grew quiet, focusing for a moment on the feeding the tiny girl in her arms.

Lindsay studied her for a moment. "I think you could tell him just about anything. He would never judge you."

Noelle's head shot up at the other woman's intuitiveness.

Realizing that her instincts had been right, that there was something Noelle was wrestling with, she offered a reassuring smile. "You know, Danny and I danced around each other for a long time before we got together. It was all me. I had – I'd been carrying around a lot of stuff from my past and I just didn't think I could let him in. I actually stood him up the first time we were supposed to go out, and then I pushed him away. But somehow, he never gave up on me, and I thank God for that every day, because now I have this incredible family and I'm happy."

"You know it's our job as parents to protect our children. But it's hard knowing that there's going to come a point where we won't be able to protect them from something; that, despite our best intentions, they'll see something they shouldn't, or hear something."

Lindsay nodded knowingly. "All we can do is our best, just like our parents did. But nobody's perfect, and bad things still happen. I think the trick is to find the good in everything. There is some if you look hard enough."

Noelle could not help smiling at her optimism. "You really aren't from here, are you?" she teased.

Lindsay shrugged. "Well, you don't really seem as cynical as most of the people I've met since moving to the city."

"I am and I'm not. I share your philosophy, and I really do believe that everything happens for a reason. Of course, you see that in hindsight. When you're in the middle of the dark stuff, it doesn't seem like there will ever be any light."

"But isn't that what's great about having someone to share things with? You don't have to be in the dark by yourself. Take it from someone who knows, who wished they'd caught on to that a lot sooner."

Noelle bit her lip. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything."

"I disagree. You just made everything incredibly clear."

A couple hours later, Katie fell asleep on the car ride back. Don carried her inside Noelle's apartment and put her to bed while Noelle made them some coffee. The conversation she'd had with Lindsay kept replaying itself in her mind and she knew she had to talk to Don. She _wanted_ to talk to Don, because now she realized that she needed him.

"Hey, beautiful, she's sound asleep," Don announced, startling Noelle as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She turned around in his arms. "Please don't sneak up on me like that," she requested.

He looked at her apologetically, seeing that she had been genuinely spooked. "Sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah, but we need to talk."

"All right, that sounds ominous."

She reached up and touched his face gently. "I'm not about to end things, if that's what you're thinking."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure I never want this to end." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Noelle led him into the living room where they sat down together on the couch. She took his hand, fidgeting with it for a moment, trying to figure out where to start.

"What's goin' on, sweetheart? I know something's been bothering you for a while now. You know you can tell me, right?"

She looked at him with a smile then. "I know." She leaned over and kissed him quickly, gathering strength from him. "I knew from the first time we met that I could trust you. I had that feeling once before. And the other day, when I was at the police station, I figured out why."

He raised his eyebrows, not quite following.

"I met your father once. He, uh – I was about twelve, and he came to our house to talk to my mother. And I understand now why you are the kind of man that you are – brave, and strong, and caring. Your dad was like that. He didn't have to come. He was off working homicides by then, from what you've told me. But he wanted to keep a promise he had made thirteen years before. And he did."

"What promise?"

"I, uh – I didn't know why your dad was there. I was quickly sent to my room. But after a while, I snuck out just in time to hear him tell my mom that everything was going to be okay now, and telling my dad that if they needed anything, they could call him. After he left, my mother started crying. My dad saw me, and he quickly sent me back to my room.

"Nobody ever told me at the time what was going on. Mom became a nervous wreck for months afterward, and Dad – well, all of his energy seemed to go into taking care of her. And meanwhile, Mark was quickly self-destructing and everybody was too busy to notice. One day I overheard Mom and Dad arguing about a trial, and feeling like my entire world was falling apart around me, I just screamed and demanded that someone tell me what was happening to our family. So, I got the sanitized version. My mom had been 'hurt' years earlier, they had finally caught the guy, and she had been called to testify. Of course me being the precocious and inquisitive kid that I was, I knew there was more to it. And with no one really paying attention to me, it was quite easy to ditch school one day and find my way to the courthouse. And that's where I got the full story. It turned out that when your dad was a beat cop, he found my mother in an alley one night. She had been attacked walking home from work at the hospital. She was beaten, she'd been raped, left barely breathing." she explained.

"Jesus, Noelle. I can't even imagine what that must have been like to hear those kind of graphic details about your own mother when you were just a kid."

"Yeah, well, the worst part was laying eyes on the man who had done it. Not only had he hurt my mother all those years ago, but now he was ripping our family apart."

"What happened?"

"Your dad was the one I heard on the stand. When he finished and stepped down, he spotted me at the back of the courtroom. He alerted my parents, who of course, freaked out. My mom's brother was there, and he quickly ushered me out and took me home. And when my parents got home, before we could talk about what I'd heard, they got a call that my brother had chosen that day of all days to get arrested for drug possession."

Don looked at her sympathetically. He held her hand the entire time, squeezing it occasionally for encouragement and as a sign of support.

"Suddenly my parents were dealing with the trial _and_ a drug addicted son. I just kind of faded into the background and tried not to cause any trouble, afraid that any moment my family was going to implode. But somehow things started to get better. The guy that attacked my mom was convicted, and my parents were able to get Mark some help. And finally, when the dust settled, Mom and Dad sat us down and we talked about everything that had happened. We got some family counselling which helped. Mark was able to turn everything around, and he got into MIT and went away to school. And everything seemed kind of normal again for a while." She cleared her throat and let go of his hand. She stood up and walked over to the window, glancing out towards the water that was barely visible a few blocks away.

Don stood up and walked over to her. For a moment, he just stood there in silence behind her, before he placed a hand on her shoulder. He knew there was more and that it was something that was still hurting her. "Noli…"

She smiled to herself, turning around and looking up at him. "Mark's the only other person who's ever called me that."

"Am I overstepping?"

"No. I like it." She stood up on her tip-toes and brushed her lips over his gently. "You have been so patient with me."

"We have all the time in the world, sweetheart."

"Hearing about your mother's rape, it plays with your ideas about sex and trust."

He nodded.

"I just need more time."

"I'm in no rush."

"I just – I decided early on that the only way sex was going to be a part of my life was if it was someone I trusted implicitly, someone I knew would never hurt me and…There's never been anyone, so…" She trailed off, a hint of red in her cheeks.

"Noelle, it's okay." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "But there's something else."

"When, uh – I was thirteen when I first found out about the rape, too young to really think about timelines and implications. But a couple years later, someone made an off-hand comment about how much I was like my mother. I started doing this internal inventory of the traits I shared with my parents, and I realized that my dad and I really had very little in common. Not like Mark. Mark was his spitting image, tall, blonde, green-eyed. But when I looked at pictures, I didn't really think I looked like Mom either. I think every kid has that thought at one point, you know, wondering if they're really adopted, or switched at birth. But suddenly it hit me. I did the math, and I realized that my mother had conceived me right around the time she was raped. I – I realized that maybe my father wasn't my father at all."

"Oh, God, Noelle…"

She looked up at him sadly. "I still don't know."

He reached down and brushed a hand over her cheek. "Do you want to?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I had myself convinced that I did, but I don't know if I can bring all of this up with my parents again. We've never talked about it. I tried. Believe me, I tried more than once. But every time I looked at my dad, I just – I couldn't. And now…I mean, isn't it hypocritical of me to go on and on about how biology really means nothing, to have adopted a child and love her as I do, but then turn around and demand a paternity test so I can find out if some rapist is my father?"

"There's a difference, Noli. You've already decided to be upfront with Katie about her adoption. You have information to give her one day about her biological parents. She will know. You don't. There's nothing hypocritical about wanting to know where you come from. If this is haunting you…There are ways to find out."

"I know. But I have to break my father's heart to do it."

Don furrowed his brow. "Maybe not."

"What do you mean?"

"The man who attacked your mother, his DNA is on file. I mean, the CSI's bring us results all the time saying that evidence doesn't match anyone in the system but that it could belong to a relative of someone who is. If we were to run your DNA, and it matched his…"

"I don't know."

"You don't have to decide right now. I'm just saying, there may be a way for you to find out without having to go to your parents."

She hesitated for a moment. "I, uh – Donnie, I know this is a lot to take in."

"Sweetheart, you haven't told me anything that makes me want to turn and run."

"No, but I've complicated things."

"When the hell is life not complicated? Noelle, I didn't even know I was looking for you when I found you. But I…Look, I'm not good with words. I'm not an educated guy unless you count fifteen years out on the streets. But I do know a few things. One is that when something great is lookin' you in the face, you don't walk away. You're something great, so don't think I'm about to walk away."

She rested her forehead against his chest, feeling relieved.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, his arms moving around her to hold her close. "It's gonna be okay."

She looked up at him. "It already is."

He kissed her gently, sweetly. It was more a gesture of assurance than one of romance. He did not want her to think he was looking for sex after she had just confessed some of her deepest, darkest secrets. But he wanted her to know that he cared, that he was a man of his word and he would be there for her. He wanted her to know that somehow, in the course of the last month, she had become more important to him than anything else.

And in that one simple gesture, she knew.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

**A/N 2 **So, there you have it. Sorry, it was a looong chapter. Thanks for sticking through to the end!

I have no idea if anything about the DNA testing is realistic, if it was around 30 years ago, etc. etc., but this is fiction, and in my world, everything I said it right LOL

Coming up in the next few chapters: Noelle makes a decision about her paternity, she is reunited with Donald Flack, Sr., and old ghosts are brought up for her parents when they finally meet Don. Oh, and don't worry. There will be plenty of romance for Noelle and Flack thrown into the mix!


	7. The Perfect Day

**A/N **This chapter underwent a huge metamorphosis from what it was in my original draft, and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) it was edited and tweaked amidst a weird reaction to some new medication, so I hope it turned out all right.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Danny, I really appreciate you seeing me like this," Noelle said as Messer finished signing her in at the front desk and she attached the visitor's pass to the pocket of her jeans.

He shrugged. "I gotta say, I'm curious. When they said I had a visitor, you were pretty much the last person I was expecting."

"I'm sorry for not calling first, but I was trying not to lose my nerve all the way over here. Is there, uh – Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"

"Sure. Sure. C'mon up."

Danny led her across the lobby and they headed up in the elevator to the Crime Lab. He directed her down the hall to the office he would share again with Lindsay when she returned from maternity leave in a few weeks. "Where's Katie?" he asked as he shut the office door closed behind them.

"Oh, uh – She's with Don. He has the day off so he's watching her while I run some errands."

"He's gotten pretty attached to that kid," Danny observed.

"And she to him," she replied with a wistful smile. However, the apprehension she had been feeling quickly returned and she fidgeted for a moment.

"So, what's goin' on, Hansen?" Messer asked. "I'm guessin' you didn't come here just to chat."

His directness unnerved her a little more, and she wondered for a brief moment if this was just a big mistake. But realizing she had come this far, she decided she had to follow through. "Uh, well – Don said that you might be able to take a DNA sample and see if there's a matching relative in your system."

He furrowed his brow. "Familial DNA searching. It has its fair share of controversy, but yeah, it can be done. Why?"

"Because I need to know who my father really is."

At the sound of the knock at the door, Lindsay crossed the apartment and opened the door to Don, who had Katie in his arms. "Hey, you two."

"Thank so much for doing this, Linds," Don said as he walked inside, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Not a problem. Matteo and Olivia are with Danny's parents, and he's working until at least eight, so it will be nice to have some company," she replied. "Hi, Katie. Thanks for coming to visit me!"

The little girl smiled as Don set her down, along with the bag he had packed with all of the essentials. She spotted a teddy bear of the twins' sitting on the floor in the living room and ambled off towards it.

Lindsay watched the toddler for a moment, then looked at her friend curiously. "So, what exactly do you have planned?"

He grinned. "Noli's a huge Yankees fan, so I'm taking her to the game this afternoon," he explained. "She needs some distraction, and that's what she's gonna get."

Lindsay smiled. She guessed that Noelle had talked to Don about whatever it was she had been alluding to the other night. She was glad that he was being as supportive as she had suggested to Noelle he would be. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Monroe, I 'like' pizza. I 'like' Guinness. I 'like' when the Rangers have a better record than the Islanders 'cause it pisses Messer off."

"And have you told Noelle this? You know, that she surpasses your affection for pizza, beer and hockey?" she inquired with a pointed look.

"Well, I guess, not in so many words, but – "

Her expression grew stern. "Don, I know you and Danny, you're like these men of action. But there are some words that are important. If you care for this woman as much as I think you do, you need to tell her."

"Thank you, Dear Abby," he said flippantly.

"Hey, you don't have to take my advice, buddy, but I _am_ a woman. I know that of which I speak."

"I'll take that under advisement."

She just shook her head. "Anyway, for what it's worth, Danny and I both really like her."

"Thanks, Linds. Look, I gotta get going. Noelle went to run some errands, but I want to get back before she does." He walked into the living room where Katie had taken to occupying herself with the examination of some of Matteo and Olivia's stuffed toys and crouched down beside her. "Hey, sweetheart. Your mommy and I will be back in a few hours to pick you up, okay? You're going to have lots of fun with Lindsay." He kissed her cheek then headed off, full of nervous energy and a glint in his eye.

"Wow," Danny said simply as Noelle finished her story.

She cocked her head and looked at him with a hint of amusement. "I guess that's one way to put it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound glib."

"It's okay. I appreciate you taking the time to hear me out."

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked with concern as he realized the depth of her request.

"Does that mean that you'll help me?"

"Yeah. But, I mean, it might take a while. This has got to be completely off the record 'cause I'm breaking a few rules here."

"Oh. Then, Danny, I can't ask you to –"

"Look, Don's been there for me through a lot of stuff. He's had my back on more than one occasion. You obviously mean a lot to him. So, I'm not thinkin' twice about doing this. But you have to be sure. Have you really thought about what it will mean if we get a match?"

"Every day for the last fifteen years, though I still have no answers. I just – " She furrowed her brow. "You know, when I – I had a hysterectomy two years ago. I can't have children of my own. And there was a really dark period where I thought it was proof that I was his kid. That maybe it was some kind of punishment – I carried _his_ genes, and this was God's way of making sure I didn't pass them on to another generation."

"I hope you don't believe that anymore 'cause the fact is, even if this guy _is_ your father, all you have in common are some alleles. It's biology. It's not going to change who you are."

"I know. But Danny, I've been carrying this around for half my life, this unknown quantity, and I just – I need to know. I'll deal with the consequences."

"Okay. Then, if you're sure, I'll run the test."

"Thank you."

An hour later, Noelle walked in through the front door of her apartment. She went to kick off her shoes, but soon Don's strong arms were enveloping her in them and he was nuzzling her neck. "Uh-uh. We're leaving," he whispered in her ear.

"Leaving where? What's going on? And where's Katie?" she asked, glancing past him into the living room and finding her daughter and her things inexplicably absent.

"Katie is with Lindsay, because for one day, I want you to just forget about everything that's been going on and just have some fun. I've taken care of everything. All you have to do is come along for the ride."

She was unable to keep a smile from gracing her lips. "I think I can do that. But, there's something you should know first."

He braced himself for what he gathered was something serious.

"I, uh – I went to the Crime Lab to see Danny. I asked him to run the test, to see if – I need to know who my father is."

Flack took in her admission.

"Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I'm just a little surprised. When did you decide to do this?"

She shrugged. "I don't think I'd really decided until I'd given him the go-ahead. I was out running my errands and I just – I found myself at headquarters asking for his help. I told him everything and he agreed to do the test."

Don nodded.

"He's a good friend."

"Yeah, Messer's a good guy." He touched her cheek lightly. "You okay?"

"I'm okay. Especially since I have this really hot detective standing here telling me he's taking me out for a day of fun. So, where are we going?"

He smiled then. "Yankees-Devil Rays game to start. Then we'll see where the day takes us."

"Sounds great."

"First pitch is in forty-five minutes, so we should get going."

He turned to grab his wallet and keys from the table she had inside her door, but she reached out and stopped him. He looked at her expectantly.

She bit her lip for a moment. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. Just being you. Coming into my life. You know, all that cheesy, romantic stuff."

He smirked. "I can do cheesy and romantic." He leant down and captured her lips with his in a tender kiss. "I hope you never doubt how much you mean to me."

His voice was low and gruff and it caused her to shiver. "I won't," she said, her own voice barely audible.

He kissed her again quickly. "C'mon. We've got a ballgame to get to."

As Don had hoped, Noelle was able to get lost in the game. She fired off insults at the umpire after bad calls and cheered when the Yanks tied it up in the seventh and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. He bought her the ballpark staples – a hot dog, beer and popcorn – and they sang at the top of their lungs during "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." And for three hours, she forgot about everything except the roar of the crowd and the wonderful man who had done this for her.

Heading to his car after the game, her hand in his, Don asked, "So, what now? It's your day, you pick."

She considered for a moment. "I don't care. Just as long as it's with you."

He flashed her his dimpled grin. He pulled her close, dipping his head to kiss her. He didn't care that they were in the middle of the parking lot at Yankee Stadium, and apparently, neither did she as she responded to him. "We, uh – We should probably go," he said, his voice hoarse, when they came up for air.

"This a felony?" she teased him.

"Could turn into a misdemeanour if you keep kissin' me like that."

"Maybe we should go back to your place," Noelle suggested then, a wanton look in her eyes.

"Noli…"

"Despite a lot of things being up in the air right now, there are two things that I'm sure of – my love for Katie, and you. I'm pretty sure that that feeling is never going to go away. Don't ask me how I know that, but I just do. So, I was wondering…" She leaned up and whispered in his ear: "Would you like to de-flower me?"

The warmth of her breath on his neck, combined with her proximity and her request just about did him in. "Christ …" he nearly growled. He practically dragged her the rest of the way across the parking lot until they got to his SUV.

The ride the first few blocks was silent, filled with stolen glances and nervous anticipation. Stopped at a red light, Don's hand found its way across the seat to rest on Noelle's thigh. She smiled at him, her hand covering his and intertwining their fingers.

A few minutes later, Don pulled onto the expressway, and the stop-and-go traffic that usually characterized the hour of the day soon just stopped. "What the hell?" he asked in frustration.

Noelle reached over and scanned through the radio stations, looking for a traffic report. They soon discovered there was a six-car pile up not too far up ahead and they would not be going anywhere quickly anytime soon as emergency vehicles were not yet on the scene.

"Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed.

She could not help but chuckle in amusement at his impatience.

He glanced over at her. "What?"

"It's not like the offer's coming off the table, like it's a one-time thing. Although it's nice to be wanted."

Don looked at her seriously. "You're definitely wanted."

Her cheeks tinged red at the weight behind his words.

Realizing they were not going to be moving for a while, Don turned off the ignition. He turned to face his girlfriend. "I'm sorry, doll. This was definitely not how this day was supposed to go."

"You kidnapped me and swept me off to a baseball game and for a little while, you made everything else disappear. I'd say it was pretty perfect. Donnie, we have all the time in the world for everything else, don't we? I'm not going anywhere."

He nodded with a smile. "Neither am I."

"You think Lindsay would mind if I called and checked on Katie?"

Don shook his head. He pulled his cell phone off his belt and handed it to her. He watched her then as she spoke with Lindsay, her eyes lighting up as she heard about something Katie had done. She looked so beautiful when she smiled, and he felt like he could just stare at her forever.

"Thanks," she offered, handing his phone back to him when she finished the call.

"Not a problem."

She ran her fingers through her hair and sat back in her seat, taking in the scene of miles of stopped cars all around them. She rolled her eyes when she heard a couple horns honking. "Idiots," she muttered. "It's not going to get them there any quicker."

"Says the woman with no patience," Don teased her.

"Need I remind you that you were cursing the gods yourself five minutes ago," Noelle countered.

"Yeah, well, I had good reason."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Sex? Hmm."

"Sex with the woman I love. There's a difference, sweetheart."

"Yes, but it's still…" She trailed off, the implication of what he had just said sinking in. Her eyes widened.

Don looked equally as surprised at the words that had spilled out. And leave it to him to profess his feelings while arguing about sex. He knew there was no taking it back, no pretending it never happened. And honestly, he did not want to take it back. He just wished he had candles and flowers and some soft music, not car exhaust, honking horns and traffic reports to punctuate his words. "Noli…"

"It's okay. You don't need to–"

"Yeah, I do. If someone had told me a couple months ago that this was going to be what I wanted more than anything, I would've thought they were crazy. But I do. I love you. And I love Katie." He reached over and took her hand. "You know, I've spent most of the past fifteen years trying to prove myself as a cop, trying to step out of my old man's shadow. Nothing else really mattered and I certainly never made time for anything else. But then this chick ran into me in a bar and completely changed everything."

The corners of her mouth turned up in a shy smile. "Katie adores you, you know. So does her mom."

Don moved across the front seat and kissed his girlfriend gently.

"I do love you, Donald Flack, Jr.," she sighed.

"I think that's the first time in my life I haven't minded being called Donald."

She laughed softly, reaching up and touching his cheek tenderly. "I won't make a habit of it, I promise." She brushed her lips over his. "You're pretty incredible, you know that? You just made the most impatient woman in the world like traffic jams."


	8. Who's Your Daddy

**A/N **Thank you to all my faithful readers for all of your kind words and encouragement. I am having a blast writing this story. This chapter is quite short, but there is plenty more to come soon, I assure you.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

It had been a long ten days. It started with the traffic jam. Then there was a multiple homicide that had tied Don up at work for two and a half days. Then he got stuck on a rotation of nights just as Noelle started back to work, having exhausted all of her parental leave and vacation time. Quality time together had been limited. And on top of everything else, the results of the DNA test were still looming and Don knew there was never a moment that it was not weighing on his girlfriend's mind.

Coming off of his last night shift, all he wanted was a hot shower, some sleep, then an uninterrupted evening with Noelle and Katie. However, there was one thing he had been putting off that he felt he needed to do first. So, instead of heading straight home to his apartment, he navigated through the Friday morning rush hour traffic to the familiar neighbourhood in Queens.

Reaching his destination, he pulled his SUV into the driveway in front of the old brick house, where begonias and impatiens lined the front walk, and baskets of geraniums hung along the veranda. And if his calculations were correct, he was right on time.

"Pop?" he called as let himself in through the front door.

"Out here, son!"

Don smirked slightly to himself as he crossed through the house and stepped out onto the back porch. He found his father sitting at the patio table, a coffee in hand and the paper spread out in front of him – the sports section on the left, open to the baseball stats; local borough news on his right; and the daily crossword in the middle staring up at him, already half-completed in ink. "Hey, old man."

"Donnie, my boy. You must be on your way home from work to be stopping at this hour of the morning," his father commented.

Don nodded, clapping his father on the shoulder before flopping down in one of the other chairs at the table. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and appraised the backyard and those of the surrounding neighbours, before looking at his dad.

Donald Flack, Sr. looked good for his sixty-four years. His son had inherited much from him in appearance – his height and build, the strong jaw line and the grey-blue eyes. Donald Sr.'s hair had greyed from its former deep brown and he had many well-earned lines on his face. He studied his eldest boy for a moment, guessing it was not just a social call that brought him to the house. "Your mother will be sorry she missed you. She just left to sit with Carrie's kids for the day."

"Ah, that's okay. It was you I wanted to talk to anyway."

"What's on your mind?"

For a moment, he hesitated, not sure how to start. Finally, he decided to just dive right in. "There was a case you worked a long time ago, 'bout thirty-one, thirty-two years now, a rape victim found in an alley not far from Mt Sinai. They didn't find the guy at the time, but about twelve years later, he was brought in on another assault charge and they were able to tie him back to the cold case."

The older gentleman narrowed his eyes. "You know as well I do, son, there are some cases you never forget. Sarah Hansen was the woman's name. I testified at the trial. I'll never forget that. I got down off the stand and her young daughter was standing at the back of the courtroom. She had heard every word, poor girl."

Don nodded, a little relieved that his father remembered.

"This is an old case, Donnie. I'm sure William Alton has long since been paroled. What's this all about?"

"The little girl from the courtroom, she's all grown up now. Has a young daughter of her own. And…I've been seein' her for the past six, seven weeks. I know that doesn't seem like a lot of time, but things are gettin' pretty serious."

Donald Sr. took in the news, surprised on all fronts. His son had not dated anyone that he knew of for a long time. That the woman he was involved with was linked to a case from days gone by was something else entirely.

"Her name's Noelle," Don continued. "I'm in love with her, Pop."

A small smile crossed the elder Flack's face. "I can tell. You have a look about you." He patted his son's leg, then took a sip of his coffee as he contemplated what more to say about the situation. "I often wondered about that family over the years. They had a son, too, no? Got into some trouble right around the time of the trial."

"Yeah. He cleaned himself up, graduated from MIT. Runs a software development company now."

Donald Sr. nodded, almost a hint of knowing pride in his expression. "You said Noelle has a daughter of her own?"

"Katie. She's fourteen months. The cutest little kid, Dad."

"Her father still in the picture?"

"No. Uh, Katie's adopted. Ekaterina. Noelle adopted her from the Ukraine."

"By herself? Brave girl."

"Yeah, she is. Brave, beautiful, smart." Don took a breath, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. For a moment, he got lost in his thoughts before finally turning and looking back at his father. "Noelle remembers you. She saw a picture on my desk, and it brought a lot back for her."

"Some things you always carry with you."

"Yeah. And I just want to make everything okay for her."

"Your mother and I would like to meet her, this woman who has put that look in your eye."

Don smiled then. "I'd like that. But that's why I wanted to come here and talk to you first. It's gonna be a little weird for her and I just – Well, I thought if everything was out in the open first, it might make things a little easier."

"I'm glad you've found someone you so obviously care about, son."

"It's a funny choice of words, isn't it? Found someone. I didn't even know I was looking for her."

"Corporate Compliance. Noelle Hansen speaking."

"Hansen, it's Danny Messer."

Noelle's breath caught. "Uh, hi Danny."

"I'm sorry it took so long, but I got some answers for you. Can you swing by the Crime Lab after work?"

"Yeah. Yes. Of course. Thank you, Danny."

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'll see ya in a couple hours."

Noelle hung up the telephone and drummed her fingers on her desk absent-mindedly. A couple hours. In just a couple of hours, she was going to find out the answer to the one question that had been haunting her for the past fifteen years. And suddenly, she was not sure if she wanted to know.


	9. Dance with Life

**A/N **This story has kind of taken on a life of its own and sometimes it is surprising even me. I hope you are all enjoying the ride as much as I am! Thanks for reading.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

_"Daddy?"_

"_What's up, chief?" _

_Seven-year-old Noelle climbed up onto the couch and tucked herself into her father's side. "What are you doing?"_

"_I'm watching the Yankees play the Red Sox."_

_Noelle looked at the TV for a moment before looking back up at her father. "Are we winning?"_

_Jack Hansen ruffled his daughter's auburn curls. "We certainly are, sweetheart. Nine-two."_

"_Can _I_ play baseball, Daddy?"_

"_Of course you can, chief. What position would you like to play?"_

_She considered for a moment. "Pitcher."_

"_I think you would be a wonderful pitcher!"_

"_Can I be a pitcher for the Yankees?"_

_He chuckled softly. "I don't see why not. You know, they don't have any girl pitchers right now, but if you practice really, really hard, and become really, really good, maybe they'll change their minds."_

_She smiled proudly and turned back to the game. _

_Jack leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter's head. _

"_Daddy?"_

"_Yes, sweetie?"_

_She looked up at him. "Do you love me as much as baseball?"_

"_Oh, I love you so much more, chief! You will always be my little girl and I will always love you."_

"Noelle?"

She glanced up from her spot on the couch in Danny's office to find Don crouched in front of her.

He reached over and touched her cheek. "Sweetheart?"

She did not answer, but looked over his shoulder at Danny, who was leaning against the edge of his desk. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice breaking with emotion.

Danny nodded.

Don took Noelle's hand and squeezed it before he stood back up. "Any chance there's some mistake?" he inquired of his best friend.

"I ran the test three times. It came back with the same result each time," Danny explained, his gaze falling on Noelle. "There was no match in the system. There's no chance that William Alton is your father."

She sprang up from her seat and ran over to Messer, catching him off guard as she hugged him tightly. 'Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

He chuckled. "I didn't really do anything, but you're welcome."

Noelle relinquished her hold on Danny then looked at her boyfriend. "I feel like – like this – Oh, God, I don't even know what this feels like!"

Don could not help but grin at the happiness that was simply emanating off of his girlfriend. He had been prepared for any result, though if he were honest with himself, he had expected the worst. Years on the job had taught him that – to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Watching Noelle as Danny had given her the news, he realized that she, too, had been prepared to hear that she was William Alton's daughter. She seemed shocked to hear she _wasn't_.

"I really appreciate you doing this for me," Noelle said to Danny.

"I'm glad I could help," he replied honestly. "Listen, I gotta get home. Olivia's got a cold and has been really fussy, so Linds is getting close to goin' out of her mind. But you're welcome to hang out in here as long as you need."

"Thanks again, Dan," offered Flack, extending his hand.

Danny shook his best friend's hand with a nod. He looked at Noelle then. "Either way, you're way too good for this goon, you know that, right? But I'm glad things worked out the way they did."

She laughed softly. "Thanks, Danny. Say 'hi' to Lindsay for me."

"Will do. 'Night, guys."

Left alone, Don took Noelle in his arms, picking her up and spinning her around. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, and he was thrilled to see her so happy.

"This is the best news ever!" she exclaimed as her feet hit the ground. "We _have_ to celebrate."

"Why don't you go pick up Katie, and I'll stop by Il Fornello and pick up some take-out and meet you guys back at your place?" he suggested.

She leaned up and kissed him quickly. "That sounds perfect."

Don knew it was too much to hope that they could escape the Crime Lab without running into anyone. Stella stepped off the elevator just as they were getting ready to get on. She raised her eyebrows at Don, as his hand was tightly intertwined with his girlfriend's. The fact that he was also dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt, clearly off-duty, also caused her eyebrows to rise.

"Stel, hey. Uh, this is Noelle Hansen. Noelle, Detective Stella Bonasera," he introduced.

"Ah, Romeo's Juliet," Stella smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Noelle."

"You, too, Stella, I've heard a lot about you."

At that, Stella quirked an eyebrow. She gave Don a pointed look that told him he had a lot of explaining to do, but let him off the hook for the time being. "All good, I hope," she mused.

Noelle smiled. "Of course."

"We, uh – We gotta jet. But I'll see ya later, huh?" cut in Don. His eyes gave his friend and colleague a pleading look. Now was definitely not the time to subject his girlfriend to the third degree.

Stella was more than accommodating. She had caught the way that the couple had been looking at each other right before they laid eyes on her, and she had definitely never seen Don look at a woman that way before. She was a little curious as to what they were doing at the Crime Lab, but that was a question for another time. "Sure. Later, guys."

Don and Noelle parted ways outside the building. He left to tend to dinner. However, Noelle did not go to pick up her daughter. After watching Don drive off, she pulled out her cell phone and called her sister-in-law, asking if she and Mark would mind keeping Katie overnight. She was vague, simply stating that she would explain everything when she picked her little girl up in the morning. Jennie easily agreed as her own four-year-old daughter had been pleading all week for Ekaterina to stay overnight. Noelle then jumped into her own car, excitement building about the night she had planned ahead.

Don had expected to beat Noelle back to her place. Instead, he walked in through the front door, having used the key she gave him, to find the lights down low, the dining room table set with lit candles, and her stereo playing her favourite Michael Bublé CD. He set the take out on the kitchen counter. "Noelle?"

"Be right out!" she called.

He quickly realized Katie was nowhere to be found. He was surprised, but definitely not complaining about the direction it appeared this night was heading.

"Something smells amazing. _Please _tell me you got the fettuccine Alfredo," Noelle sighed as she joined Don in the living room, having changed out of her work clothes into jeans and a tank top.

He cleared his throat, his mind definitely straying from the food he had brought. "Uh, yeah. Your A-C not working?"

She looked at him with a hint of amusement. "It's working fine. But it is kinda hot in here."

He smirked then when he caught the look in her eyes. "C'mere." He quickly closed the distance between them and leaned down and kissed her languidly. "We, uh – We should eat before the food gets cold."

"Isn't that why microwaves were invented?" she countered. "Haven't we waited long enough?"

"Noli…"

She stood on her tip-toes and brushed her lips against his.

"Sweetheart, we don't have to do this."

"I trust this. I trust _you_. And I just – Donnie, I have spent half my life worried about something that never even came to pass. That's a lot of wasted time. I don't – I don't want to waste any more."

"I just want you to be sure. I don't want you to think that I'm expecting anything."

She reached up and touched his face. "I know that. And it's the fact that you have done everything you have for me _without_ any expectations that makes me sure. I want us to be together."

He grinned then, happy to oblige. Although he had been more than willing to wait as long as she needed, he also wanted her more than he had ever wanted another woman. He walked over and blew out the candles she had lit earlier, then he took her hand and led her down the hall to her bedroom. Inside, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, slowly. His arms then moved around her and he held her close against him.

One hand against his chest, the other wrapped around his neck, Noelle couldn't get close enough. She had been honest when she said she was sure. She wanted him so badly, and she thought she must combust from the heat that seemed to be passing between them.

Don broke from the kiss just long enough to pull her tank top up and over her head, casting it aside on the floor.

She smiled, reaching up and pulling his shirt off.

He captured her lips once again while he relished the skin-to-skin contact. But he could not help but notice that she was trembling. "You're shaking."

"I'm just a little nervous," she admitted shyly, her face flushed both with desire and a little embarrassment.

"Sweetheart, if you have any doubts –"

"No, no doubts. I just – I don't want to disappoint you."

His hand brushed against her cheek. "Trust me. Getting to be with you, there's nothing about that that can disappoint me." Feeling her relax then against him, he moved them over to the bed where they sat down on its edge. His kissed her slowly and deliberately, then his lips travelled along her jaw line and down her neck. As their lips met again, he laid her down and moved up beside her.

Once he had rid her of her clothes and she was naked before him, he just took in the sight of her for a moment.

"Don," she finally pleaded, feeling self-conscious.

"You are so beautiful," he assured her, kissing her lips gently.

Her hands went to the fly on his jeans and she buttoned is urgently.

"Damn," Don swore then. "I didn't bring any condoms."

She bit her lip. So maybe she had not planned this all that well.

He went to move away from her, but she stopped him. He raised his eyebrows.

"You've been tested, right?" she asked.

"Department physical, couple months ago," he replied, his breathing heavy.

"I've never done this before. And we both know there's no chance I can get pregnant. I'm okay with this if you are. Don't stop. Please."

He did not need any more encouragement.

Outside, the August sun was still high in the sky, but the room was dark except for the stray rays of light slipping in through the slats of the blinds. The two new lovers paid no attention though as they were joined together. Don was completely conscious of the fact that it was her first time and was perfectly attentive and gentle.

For a while after, they laid in silence. Then he kissed her forehead. "You okay?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay." She rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him.

He ran his hands through her hair. Her faced was flushed, her eyes wide, and he thought no woman had ever looked quite so beautiful to him before. "I gotta tell ya, sweetheart, it's never been like this for me before."

She bit her lip, a little uncertain. "That's good, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, it's good. C'mere." He drew her close and kissed her. "I know it's selfish, but there's something about knowing no other guy has ever been with you like this."

She kissed his chest, then rested her head back down, treasuring the intimacy that existed between them. "I'm glad I waited. I guess I should be glad you didn't. One of us had to know what we were doing," she joked.

"You got nothing to worry about there," he replied, running a hand through his hair.

She blushed at his compliment. She then laughed softly.

"What?"

"I'm thirty, I've got a fourteen month old, and I just lost my virginity. It's completely twisted and backwards. It's funny."

Don stroked her hair. "Baby, you've got more strength and integrity than anyone I know. There's nothing funny 'bout that."

"You already got me into bed, you don't need to lay on the charm," she teased him.

He laughed. "Hey, I'm being honest. Trust me, I've met a lot of insipid women in my line of work – hell, I've even dated a few. But I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you that you were different, and someone I wanted to be with."

She didn't say anything, feeling very overwhelmed.

"Hey. You all right?"

She glanced up at him. "Yeah. I'm just trying to process this entire day. Everything feels a little surreal. Except there's one thing I know for sure and it's that I love you."

"The feeling's mutual. You know that, right?"

"I know."

A while later, Don lazily pulled on his jeans while Noelle staked a claim to his t-shirt and they wandered out to the kitchen to nuke the earlier abandoned pasta. They opened a bottle of wine and curled up together on the couch, talking about everything and nothing. And for one night, they were the only two people.


	10. He's My Brother

Flack had barely shifted his SUV into park before Noelle flipped down the passenger side visor and was studying her own reflection in the mirror. He shut off the ignition then glanced over at his girlfriend, catching the scowl on her face. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "They're going to take one look at me and know."

"What?"

"Mark and Jen, they're going to know what we were doing last night."

"Don't forget about this morning," he smirked. When she turned and glared at him in response, his own expression became a little incredulous. "C'mon, Noelle. Look, I don't buy that whole thing that someone can tell you just had sex by looking at you. Besides – and I really hate to break this to ya, sweetheart – Mark and Jen thought we were sleeping together a long time before last night."

She rolled her eyes. "You're really not helping."

"As near as I can see, the only evidence that we had mind-blowing sex last night is this hickey right here." He reached over and ran a finger over a small bruise on her collarbone. "And there are a million different ways you could've got that. And you know, you could've hidden it if you hadn't worn that top."

She glanced down at the green halter top she had pulled on with her khaki capris pants. "It's hot," she said simply of the sticky, August morning.

"Tell me about it," he kidded. He chuckled when she scowled again, leaning over and kissing her lips gently. "C'mon. If they saw the car pull up, they're going to be more curious about what we're doin' right now than why we hardly got any sleep last night."

Noelle just rolled her eyes then opened the door and hopped out of the car. She walked around to the other side of the driveway and took Don's hand as they headed up the front walk of her brother and sister-in-law's uptown house. She knocked a couple times then opened the door without awaiting a response. 'Hey, we're here!"

A moment later, Katie came toddling out of the kitchen at the sound of her mother's voice and headed right for her. "Mama!"

A wide smile crossed Noelle's face at the sight and sound of her daughter. She gathered her up in her arms, hugging her tightly. "How's my beautiful girl? Did you have a good time?"

Ekaterina nodded happily.

Noelle kissed her cheek then hugged Katie again. "Oh, I missed you so much, sweetheart."

"Pa'cakes!"

"You had pancakes? Wow. That's more than mommy got!" she teased, glancing at Don.

"Tell me they weren't the best scrambled eggs you've ever had," he countered with a kiss to her temple, then one to Katie's cheek. "Hey, cutie."

"Where's your Uncle Mark?"

"Right here. Hey guys," Mark greeted, joining them all in the front foyer. "Jennie took Erin to her swimming lesson, but she should be back soon. You want to hang around for a while, have some coffee?"

"Sure. There's actually something I want to talk to you about," Noelle replied. She kissed Katie's cheek again then set her back down on her feet.

"Sounds serious."

She bit her lip, glancing at Don.

"Why don't Katie and I go out for a walk, give you guys some time alone," Don suggested.

"Thank you."

"All right. C'mon, little one. Let's go see what kinda trouble we can find." He scooped the little girl up in his arms and in one smooth turn he set her on his shoulders, causing her to giggle excitedly.

Once Don and Katie were out the door, Mark looked at his sister curiously. "So, what's going on, Noli?"

"How 'bout that coffee first?" she requested.

While Noelle sat down at the kitchen table, Mark poured them each a cup of coffee, then he joined her. He appraised her for a moment. "You know, you look different."

"_What_?"

He raised his eyebrows at her almost horrified expression. "I mean, you seem happy. Calm."

"Hmm. Maybe because for the first time in as long as I can remember, I am," she replied. She fidgeted for a moment with her coffee cup before looking back at her brother. "I took the DNA test, Mark."

"How? I thought we had to talk to Dad and –"

"Familial DNA searching. A friend of Don's at the Crime Lab was able to take a sample from me and run it through their system, see if there was any relational matches to anyone. There was no match. There's no way I'm William Alton's daughter."

Mark sat back in his chair then, running his hand through his short, blonde hair, absorbing her admission. "Wow."

"You're as surprised as I was," she mused.

"I hate to admit it, but yeah, I'm surprised."

"Is that why you think Mom and Dad never tried to find out? They really thought William Alton was my biological father?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I have to believe if they had known the truth, they would have said something. They had to know you would wonder."

She took a sip of her coffee as she contemplated her brother's reasoning. "I hate that I have to bring all of this back up for them. But Dad has to know. And even if there was no DNA test, just hearing Don's name is going to do it."

Mark nodded. "How're _you _doing with all of this?"

"I'm glad I know. And more than anything, I'm glad that maybe we can lay all of this to rest now."

"You got a raw deal through everything, Noli," Mark said apologetically. "You were the one that had to hold us all together when our family was on the verge of falling apart. That's a hell of lot for a twelve year old to carry. Then when you started to question whether Dad was really – When you started to wonder about your paternity…" He furrowed his brow. "If I was any kind of big brother, I would have talked to Mom and Dad as soon as you started speculating . It wasn't your job to try to protect everyone."

"It's never been yours, either. And never think you haven't been the best big brother in the world. Even when you were high, you were still looking out for me."

"I'm glad I did something good during that time. I don't remember much of it," he said honestly.

"You survived it, that's all that matters. And now, here we are. You've got Jen and Erin."

"And you've got Katie. I know that last few years haven't been easy, but she's an amazing little kid, sis. And things with you and Don seem to be going well. He treating you okay? 'Cause you know I'll kick his ass if he ever does anything to hurt you."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, M, you have nothing to worry about. Don treats me like a queen. He says he loves me, and when he looks at me, I know he means it," she explained wistfully.

"I'm glad. He's a good guy."

"He is. He told his father about me, and his dad remembers me. Talk about awkward."

"Meeting the parents is never _not_ awkward, kiddo."

"Yeah. Well, I guess I should talk to Mom and Dad before I spring Donnie on 'em."

"They even know you're seein' anybody?"

She nodded. "So, I guess sooner rather than later. Don's on day shift tomorrow. I'll see if they're free for breakfast."

A few hours later, after Don insisted that they take Katie to the Central Park Zoo before summer slipped away, the trio returned to Noelle's apartment. She was in her kitchen mixing up a pitcher of lemonade when Don joined her, having just put Katie down for an afternoon nap. He just watched her as she finished and put the pitcher in the fridge. As beautiful as she was all dressed up in a pair of heels, he thought she was at her most beautiful when she was dressed down and her feet were bare, when she was just being comfortable in her own space. And he almost chuckled when he realized that domesticity had become his new turn-on.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Noelle asked, leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest, noticing the slight smirk on her boyfriend's face.

"A few months ago, I woulda laughed at anyone who said this would have been my idea of the perfect Saturday."

She smiled at that. "Well, it's certainly not very glamorous."

"Doll, I'd choose this, here, any day of the week."

"Katie had I both had a blast at the zoo. That was really sweet of you to suggest it."

"I had fun, too. But then again, any time not spent chasing down homicidal maniacs is fun."

"Who are you kidding? You love chasing down homicidal maniacs. I just hope you love being here with me more."

"That's a definite affirmative." He walked over cupped her face with his hands. He leaned down and kissed her, gently at first then more hungrily.

"Now?" she asked a little incredulously as he started to move them down the hall towards her bedroom.

"Katie's sound asleep," he replied, nuzzling her neck.

"You're insatiable – not that I'm complaining," she laughed, then moaned as he hit her pulse point. She would be lying if she said that the look of pure, unadulterated desire in his eyes did not turn her on. And honestly, making love with Don had become her new favourite pastime.

"I'm just crazy about you."

"Well, the feeling is definitely mutual. C'mon. We've got a good forty-five minutes before Ekaterina wakes up."

Don grinned. "Lead the way, Ms Hansen."


	11. We Are Family

**A/N **Well, aren't you all lucky! Two chapters in one day! I hope you all enjoy!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"What do you have for us, Flack?" Lindsay asked as she and Sheldon ducked under the crime scene tape and approached the homicide detective in the hotel corridor.

Don finished barking out instructions to two uniformed officers, then turned his attention to the two CSI's. "Welcome back, Monroe," he offered with a warm smile. "You deliberately pick a full moon for your first shift?"

"Luck of the draw," she sighed.

"Well, you've been missed. Hard to believe it's only been eight weeks you've been out."

"Ix-nay," hushed Sheldon.

Flack furrowed his brow. "_What_?"

"No, I'm fine, Shel. I can do this," said Lindsay, her tone full of determination. "What are you doing here anyway, Flack? I thought you were on days this week."

"I am, but there's a heat wave and it appears half the squad's out on holidays. So, yours truly got the call – four hours early. Noelle was not impressed."

Lindsay laughed softly. "So, this is the vic obviously. What happened?"

Don pulled out his notebook. "Uh, Lara Milano, twenty-seven. Checked in two days ago, here from Ohio for a conference being held here at the hotel. One of the other guests found her when they came up to their room an hour ago."

Sheldon crouched down beside the body of the young woman, clad only in a tank top and underwear. "Throat was slashed. Bled out almost immediately."

"Anyone hear anything?" Lindsay asked Don.

"Of course not. That would make us inconsequential, wouldn't it?" he deadpanned.

"Well, there are no defensive wounds, no signs of struggle. And from the blood trail coming from her room, she was killed inside. Probably recognized her killer, let him in. He then came out, and she tried to get help but collapsed just outside the door. She would not have been able to even call out," Sheldon hypothesized.

"Did she know anyone here in the city?" Lindsay inquired further.

"Don't have any of those details yet. Now that you guys are here, I'll go see what else I can find out and let you do your thing," Don suggested.

"I've got the room, Hawkes. You take the body?"

Sheldon nodded.

Once Lindsay had taken her kit inside the hotel room, Flack looked at Sheldon inquisitively. "What was that about earlier, with the twins?"

"Oh, well, she called Danny five times on the way over here to make sure they were fine. I don't think she's convinced he can handle them for an entire shift on his own."

Don smirked. "Ah. A little separation anxiety."

"Mom more than babies."

Don nodded.

"So, you were at Noelle's?" Hawkes inquired with raised eyebrows. "Things are going well, I take it."

"Good observation, Doc."

"So, when do I get to meet her?"

"Soon. Let's grab drinks at Sullivan's sometime this week."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Good. Well, I'll let you science geeks do your thing and see what I can find out." Leaving Hawkes, he walked over to the open hotel room door. He rapped softly. "Hey, Linds, you want any coffee or somethin'? Maybe some Prozac?" he teased her.

She glanced over her shoulder from where she was photographing a blood pool. "Ha ha, very funny, Flack."

"Liv and Matt will be fine. Dan, well, he's another story. Seriously, though, I'll grab you a coffee, huh? Or maybe some tea? It's gonna be a long morning."

Her expression softened. "Thanks."

He went to leave, but then stopped in his tracks. He walked into the room, careful not to step on any of the blood trail, and stepped up beside her. "Oh, one more thing. Hand over the cell."

"What?"

"C'mon. If Mac needs anything, he can call Hawkes. You're just going to use that thing to keep calling Danny. Hand it over."

She scowled.

"It's four in the morning, Linds. Nothing's gonna happen at home. But if you keep calling to check up on 'em, you're gonna drive everyone, including Hawkes and me, nuts. Give it up."

"You're being ridiculous."

He raised his eyebrows at her, trying to squelch the amused grin that was tugging at his lips.

Realizing he was not going to let this go, she grudgingly reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Don. "You're bossy," she muttered. "No wonder it took you so long to get a girlfriend. And don't think I won't tell Noelle about this."

His laughter followed him outside and on his way back down to the lobby.

Finished with his interviews and canvassing of the area a couple of hours later, Don was heading back up the stairwell to check in with the CSI's when a strange ring tone filled the air. He furrowed his brow as he pulled out his cell. Quickly realizing it was Lindsay's and not his that was ringing, he laughed and answered without glancing at the call display. "Jeez, Messer, you really are helpless, aren't ya? She hasn't even been on duty six hours yet."

"Don?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Noli?"

"Is something wrong with Lindsay? Is that why you've got her phone?"

"Uh, no, no, she's fine. What're you doin', callin' Monroe this early in the morning?"

"I was up. I remembered it was her first shift back, so I thought I'd just see how she was doing. I know what it's like, that first day,"

"You're too nice to be a New Yorker, you realize that," he teased her.

"You're just too cynical. She doing okay?"

"Now. But she called Danny five times on her way to the scene apparently. I confiscated her phone."

"It's natural, Don. I called Jennie about ten times."

He hesitated for a moment. "You up because you're worried about breakfast with your folks?"

"Maybe. I never really got back to sleep after you left."

"Sweetheart, I could go with you."

"No, I need to do this myself. And I owe them a heads-up about you. But thank you."

"I love you, all right? I'll be thinkin' about you."

"Thanks. Tell Lindsay to call me if she needs anything or wants to talk, okay?"

"Will do. And you call me when you get home, okay? Let me know how things went."

"And what number should I call?" she kidded.

"Cute. Later, doll."

Three hours later, Noelle was apprehensively standing on the front porch of her parents' home, one hand holding Katie's, the other fidgeting with the Jerusalem Cross she wore around her neck. She kept telling herself that it in the end, she was delivering good news. But knowing everything that she was going to be bringing up to get there made her hesitate. She wished Don was with her, but she knew that was something she had to do by herself.

"There are two of my favourite girls," Jack Hansen smiled as Noelle and her daughter finally walked in through the front door of the house.

"Morning, Daddy," Noelle replied, accepting a kiss to her cheek.

"How's my little chief?" he asked his granddaughter, crouching down in front of her and poking her nose. "Does Grandpa get a hug?"

Katie hugged her grandfather eagerly with a giggle.

"Ah, that's my girl." He kissed her cheek, then stood back up and appraised his daughter. "You look good, chief."

Noelle smiled. She gave her father a hug as her mother joined them in the entryway. "Hi, Mom."

"Good morning, honey. And there's my beautiful grandbaby. Katie, I think you've grown another inch." Sarah Hansen bent down and picked her granddaughter up. "Well, your father has been whisking up his prized pancake mix, so why don't we all go into the kitchen."

Sarah was a stout and beautiful woman of sixty-three. The years had been kind, her greying hair looking more blonde, her deep brown eyes warm. Her husband had a good five or six inches on her, his previously blonde hair now white, his frame still lean.

Settled in the kitchen, Noelle watched affectionately as her parents worked in tandem to fix breakfast. She held Katie on her knee, listening as the little girl babbled on in a language only she understood, occasionally the words she had been learning sliding through. Noelle felt a sudden surge of strength as the picture in front of her was evidence that things really did work out the way they were supposed to.

"So, uh, yeah, I've been seeing someone," she blurted out.

"You mentioned that," her mother replied as she set a pitcher of syrup down on the table. "I take it things are going well by the look on your face."

Noelle could not help the grin that played on her lips. "Yeah, they are. He's amazing."

"We'd like to meet him," her father piped in, glancing over his shoulder after her poured batter onto the grill.

"I'd like that, too."

"What does he do, sweetheart?" he mother inquired.

"Well, uh – Don, he – He's a homicide detective." She took a sip of the coffee her mother had placed in front of her. "He's third generation NYPD. His dad was a homicide detective, too, at the time he retired. But a long time ago, he was a beat cop out of the 2-5." She took a deep breath. "The, uh – The man I've been dating, his name is Donald Flack, Jr. He's the son of the officer that worked your case, Mom."

At the revelation, both of her parents abandoned the tasks at hand and looked at their daughter.

"Small world, huh?" she laughed nervously.

Her mother moved over to the table and sat down.

"You okay, Mom?"

"Yes, I'm fine, honey. It's just been a while since I've heard Office Flack's name."

"I knew this was going to come as a bit of a shock." She looked down at her daughter, who was paging through a picture book oblivious to the situation surrounding her, before glancing back at her parents. "But Don's a really good man. He's so great with Katie, and she adores him."

"And he makes you happy," her mother observed.

Jack flipped the pancakes over, then turned and leaned against the counter. "His father was a man of integrity. I'm not surprised he is a good man, too. And as long as he treats you right and makes you happy, that's all that matters to us."

"He does. And I want you guys to meet him." She took a deep breath, relieved. Though, she was not quite sure how to broach the other issue she had. She decided to let them absorb this first admission first, and wait until her dad was not standing in front of an appliance with the capability of scalding him.

However, once Katie was settled in her highchair, and her parents were digging into the meal, Noelle found she could not eat, despite the fact that her favourite breakfast was sitting in front of her. Her stomach was in knots.

"Noelle, honey, is something wrong?" her father asked, setting down his fork and studying his daughter.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just – I don't know how to get into this." She furrowed her brow.

"You know you can talk to us about anything, sweetheart," her mother assured her.

Noelle pushed her plate away and sat back in her chair. "I never knew the name of the cop who testified that day in the courtroom. I didn't figure out who Don was until I saw a picture of his family a couple weeks ago. I recognized his father and it was then that I made the connection. And it – Well, it brought up a lot of stuff for me. But it wasn't just that. The whole process to adopt Katie, you know…I love her more than anything, this person that I have no biological link to. But there's always questions. I know she's going to have lots of them as she grows up. And I just – I've had some questions of my own for a long time." She had been fidgeting with her napkin, nearly shredding it, and she finally just released it, lifting her gaze to meet those of her parents.

Sarah had tears in her eyes.

Jack reached over and took his wife's hand. Neither of them needed Noelle to spell this out for them. They knew what she was talking about. They had been carrying this around themselves her entire life, and waiting to have this conversation since she first heard about the rape. "Noelle, we never meant to keep anything from you."

"I know that, Dad. And I didn't bring any of this up to place blame or anything. I understand more than you know about the choices you have to make as a parent, and the desperate need to protect your child." She bit her lip. "And this has never had anything to do with my love for you, Daddy. But I just had to know."

"You're speaking in the past tense," Jack observed a little warily.

"I took a DNA test. Don has a friend at the Crime Lab, and there's a way to run a DNA sample against what's in the system to see if there's a relational match. If I was William Alton's biological daughter, there would have been a match. There wasn't." She reached over and put her hand over the intertwined fingers of her parents. "I'm your daughter, Daddy. In every way. We don't have to wonder anymore. There's no question."

"Oh, God. Thank God," Sarah sighed, releasing a breath she had not even realized she had been holding.

When her father did not say anything, Noelle furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you guys first. I just – If it had gone the other way, I'm not sure what I would have done. But I just – I had to know."

"We were afraid to find out," Jack finally said quietly.

"I know, Daddy. But now we know. And maybe now, finally, William Alton's hold over this family will disappear."

Jack shook his head slightly. "Noelle, we know we should have talked to you about this a long time ago. You should not have had to carry this around all by yourself for all these years."

"If this family is guilty of anything, it's being overprotective. I think I was trying to protect you as much as you were me. And poor Mark was somewhere in the middle. But maybe we can just let it rest now," she said, full of hope. "Things are as good as they've ever been for all of us. And I really can't wait for you to meet Donnie. You'll see that he really is a wonderful man."

It was hours later before Don was able to pick up the message Noelle had left on his cell phone, having been stuck in interrogation for four hours with a possible suspect that in the end they had to let go. His frustration with the case was eased as soon as he heard her voice: "Hey, baby, it's me. I guess you're out catching the bad guys. I just wanted to tell you that things went well with my parents and everything's good. And since you made most of this happen, I just wanted to say thank you. And I love you. Call me when you get a chance. Love you. Bye."

"Give me my phone back or I'll wipe that smirk right off your face," Lindsay ordered with a scowl as she caught up with him the corridor.

Don chuckled, pulling her cell from his suit jacket pocket and handing it over. "You out of here?"

"I was supposed to be out of here two hours ago," she sighed. She looked at her phone to see there were no missed calls nor waiting messages and furrowed her brow.

"Give Messer a little credit, Linds. He loves those kids. They'll be in one piece when you get home."

She hated to admit it, but she knew he was right. Despite her yearning to get back to work and out in the field, there was a part of her that wanted to believe her family could not get on without her while she did it. The realization that they could was difficult for a control freak like her to handle. "I take it that was Noelle on the phone," she observed, changing the subject.

"That obvious, huh?"

She smiled then. "Yeah, you look different when you're around her or thinking about her. She's good for you."

"That she is. Give Liv and Matteo a kiss from their Uncle Don, huh? I got a case to break."

Whistling, Don headed back to the pit, while Lindsay shook her head a little incredulously before she made tracks and left her first day back to work behind her.


	12. Insatiable

**A/N **They say things come in threes, so here is a third chapter for the day. Just a little piece of fluff. I hope you enjoy!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Hey, doll, I guess you're probably already at Sullivan's. Dan and I just got out of our interrogation, so we'll be there in about a half an hour. Sorry to keep ya waiting. I'll make it up to you, all right? I love you. Bye." Don flipped his cell closed with a furrowed brow.

"Hansen pissed?" Danny asked jokingly at seeing his best friend's expression as he joined him in the hallway of the precinct.

"I don't know. She didn't pick up."

"It's seven-thirty on a Friday night at Sullivan's. There's no way she woulda heard her cell ringing in that crowd."

"I guess."

Danny laughed. "You're just mad she hasn't left you like six messages asking where you are. C'mon. She's a smart girl. I'm sure she's figured out by now that it's when you actually show up somewhere on time that she should be surprised."

Don couldn't help but chuckle at the comment.

"You nervous about meeting her folks tomorrow?"

"A little. Almost as nervous as I am about her meeting mine on Sunday."

"You ever heard of pacing yourself?" Messer kidded.

"I think of it like ripping off a band-aid. You know, better to do quickly, all at one."

"Or over a thirty-six hour period as the case may be."

"Yeah, well, tonight is ours. Her parents have Katie until we meet them for brunch in the morning. So, I'm just going to go sign off on the report, then we can get out of here."

Half an hour later, the duo walked into the bar, Danny ready for some beer, and Don ready for some time with his girlfriend. He and Danny both scanned the room and quickly spotted Noelle. She was sitting at the bar and glowering at a guy who was clearly not getting her 'not interested' message.

Danny glanced over at his friend. Knowing how he would be feeling if it was Lindsay, he said, "C'mon, I'll be the bad cop."

Don said nothing, his jaw set.

With a smirk, Danny led the way through the crowd towards the bar. He slammed his badge down on the bar between the guy and Noelle. "Get out of here before I charge you with whatever the hell I feel like," Messer threatened.

Don came around the opposite side of his girlfriend, startling her as his arm snaked around her waist.

The guy, seeing he was clearly out-numbered, skulked away.

Danny shook his head with a laugh. "Amateurs." He turned to Noelle. "How ya doin' there, Hansen? You always gotta attract the low-lifes, dontcha?"

"Watch it, Messer," Don clipped back, still clearly upset over seeing some other guy ogling his girlfriend.

Noelle just shook her head at the demonstration of testosterone she had just witnessed.

Don leaned down and kissed her temple. "Sorry to keep ya waiting, doll."

"It's okay, so long as you got the bad guy," she replied.

"That we did," Danny grinned. "Frankie, a scotch, a pint for Flack here, and another of whatever girlie drink Hansen's havin'."

"Anything with B&B can hardly be considered 'girlie,'" Noelle countered.

Don laughed at her challenge.

Danny raised his eyebrows. He definitely liked this chick.

Once their drinks were in front of them, they moved to a table in the back. Soon, Lindsay, Sheldon and Stella joined them once they got off shift. Don introduced his girlfriend to Sheldon, the only one of the trio she had not yet met. The cops then managed to unwind while Noelle just enjoyed being in their company, a rare night out among adults.

Stella and Sheldon both really liked the newcomer. She seamlessly fit in with the group, and both had long since noticed that Don was clearly happy with her.

Somehow over the course of an hour, Don had managed to move his chair closer and closer to Noelle's, his arm protectively around the back, his hand unconsciously playing with the collar of her top. Noelle had noticed, and frankly was getting a little heated with his proximity.

While Danny, Lindsay, Stella and Sheldon debated the chances the Yankees had versus the Jays over the weekend series, Don leaned over and whispered into Noelle's ear, "Your place or mine tonight?"

"Yours is closer," she murmured into his neck.

"Christ," he muttered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, throwing money down on the table to cover their drinks. "We gotta get goin' guys. Noelle's been up since the break of dawn."

"Sure, use me as the scapegoat," she laughed as they walked out of the bar a few minutes later.

"You wanna go back inside?" he countered with a raise of his eyebrows.

"No. I want to do this…" She gripped his tie and pulled him towards her, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him languidly.

"Precinct. Car. Bed."

Noelle laughed at his inability to form a complete sentence. It thrilled her that she affected him that way, the same way he did her. She felt his hand tug on hers and soon her was leading her across the street to headquarters.

As they walked towards his car in the parking garage, he hit the remote to his Avalanche, the alarm chirping and the lights flashing as the SUV unlocked. He went to open her door for her, but stopped when he caught the expression on her face, the expression that made him realize he couldn't wait for a car trip, even if it was barely ten minutes. He backed her up against the vehicle, kissing her roughly, his hands fisting through her hair. Somehow he manoeuvred her so he could open the door to the back, and he hastily moved her down on the seat, covering her with himself as he pulled the door shut.

"I'm so going to kill you if I get arrested for indecent exposure," she kidded breathlessly, as they both worked on buttons that were denying access.

"Misdemeanour. No jail time," he growled, cursing the amount of fabric that existed between them.

"Normally your suits are sexy, but right now there's three layers too many."

They finally managed to find skin, the kisses searing as hands roamed. The sex was quick in its urgency but hot, and enough to tide them over until they got back to his place. There in his bed, they were able to take their time, the clandestine encounter in his car having fanned the flame on their desire for one another. Then, both having had a long day, they fell asleep, wrapped up in each other and twisted sheets.

When Don woke up hours later, he was alone. He furrowed his brow when Noelle failed to return after a couple of minutes. He pulled on his boxers then padded out to the living room where he found his girlfriend curled up under a blanket on his couch, channel surfing through late-night infomercials.

He sat down beside her, moving her legs then stretching them out across his lap. "You okay, doll?"

"Just a little insomnia. There's nothing good on TV at three a.m.," she sighed.

"We've spent nearly every night together for the past couple weeks. You've never disappeared on me before. So spill."

"It's nothing."

She was wearing one of his shirts, which was almost distracting enough to get him off the subject. Almost. He blinked away the impure thoughts. "Talk."

She narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a suspect, Donnie."

"You realize that outside my family, you're the only one I let call me that, right?"

"Don't change the subject."

"Who's the one changing the subject here? Now talk to me about what's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me."

"Right."

"No, see, that's what's bothering me."

He furrowed his brow. "Okay, it's the middle of the night and I pulled back-to-back eighteen hour shifts. I'm not following."

She sat up with a sigh. "I don't do well with happy, Don. I've never quite made it there, and now that I have…" She trailed off with a scowl.

Understanding better than she knew, he reached over and brushed her hair off her face, his hand lingering against her cheek. "You're waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

She nodded a little sheepishly.

"I'm not goin' anywhere. You're not planning to, are ya?" he asked. His tone was light but there was weight and genuine concern behind the question. She seemed on the verge of running because she was _happy_.

"No!" she exclaimed a little more emphatically than she intended. "I mean, I'm not – Oh God, Don, I'm sorry. I don't want to be one of those insecure, needy girlfriends. I just – I don't know how to do this. I always thought not having any baggage was a good thing, but the fact is no baggage means no experience, and no experience means flying blind. I'm not good when I feel out of control and I just don't know what the hell I'm doing here. And you must just think you've gotten into something completely horrible and –"

Don cut her off with a kiss. "Breathe," he teased her, distracting her with kisses.

When they came up for air, he stayed close, resting his forehead against hers, and she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Do I need to get you a paper bag so you can continue to hyperventilate or are you okay now?"

She felt her face turn crimson.

He laughed, pulling back to look at her. "I love you and I'm in this. You're stuck with me. I mean, we're talking in the range of forever here."

She visibly relaxed. "I'm sorry," she muttered again in embarrassment.

"For what? Noelle, we fell in love, yeah, but this _has_ been kind of fast. You're a new mom. You just found out your father _is_ really your father after years of wondering. You've had a hell of a lot to deal with the past few years. You're overwhelmed. I get it. It's nothing to be sorry about. Just – Baby, just promise me you're not gonna run screaming, okay?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied honestly, echoing his earlier words. "I promise."

"Good. Now c'mon. It's late. I'm tired. And if you still can't sleep, well, I can think of better ways than infomercials to distract you." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him, turning off the TV with the remote he'd pick up in his other hand.

They went back to bed and Noelle fell back to sleep quickly, curled up in his arms. This time it was Don that lay awake. For a while, he just watched her. Sleeping peacefully and looking so beautiful, he had to fight the urge to wake her back up. With the exception of his decision to join the Academy, he had never before felt more certain about anything as he did about his relationship with Noelle. The fact that he had been terrified when he thought she might bolt told him that he had not said forever just for the hell of it. He meant it.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

**A/N 2 ** Well, you can probably guess what's coming up: Flack meets the Hansens, and Noelle will be reunited with Flack Sr. (as well as getting to meet him mom).


	13. Ghosts

**A/N **Sorry for the long delay. Hours after posting the last chapter two weeks ago, my computer had a serious malfunction. Darn technology. I'm sure Danny, Adam or Sheldon would have been able to fix it right up; unfortunately, I had to wait for my brother LOL Although able to access my email from work to be alerted to reviews, I was not able to respond to them apparently does not qualify as an "acceptable use of technology" at work and I can't get onto the site. Do these people not watch CSI:NY???) So, to everyone who did not receive a response to a review, THANK YOU! Kind words are always appreciated and a great source of my encouragement.

Anyway, here's the next instalment…

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Now, Daddy's going to insist on paying. Please just let him pick up the cheque and don't get all macho on me, okay?" Noelle requested as they walked up towards the front door of the diner, a Hansen family favourite, where they were meeting her parents for brunch.

"Macho?" he teased her. "Sweetheart, would you just relax? I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous here."

"I've never brought a guy to meet my folks before. I mean, unless you count Billy Rockland, my prom date, but it turned out that his older brother had been Mark's dealer and things just didn't turn out well after that," she muttered.

Don stopped walking and pulled Noelle against him. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

She protested at first, but quickly melted into him when he persisted. Pulling back finally, she rested her forehead against his chest. "Sorry."

He kissed the top of her head. "It's okay, doll. Everything's going to be fine. Mothers love me."

She glanced up and caught his dimpled smirk. She wiped a smear of lipstick off the corner of his mouth, shaking her head with a laugh. "It better _only_ be mothers – _married_ mothers who don't believe in extra-marital affairs."

"I like it when you get all possessive." He went to kiss her again, but she pushed him away. "What?"

"Down boy. Parents, remember?"

"You know, that word is almost as effective as a cold shower. Let's go." He put his hand on the small of her back and led her into the restaurant.

Noelle quickly spotted her parents at a round table near the back, both of them laughing at something Katie was doing, seated in a high chair between the two. She relaxed at the sight of her daughter. She took Don's hand and ushered him through the restaurant.

"Mommy!" Katie announced excitedly upon seeing her mother.

"There's my sweetheart." She walked over and leaned down to kiss her daughter as her parents stood. She then hugged her Mom and kissed her dad's cheek. "Mom, Dad, this is Don Flack. Don, my parents, Jack and Sarah Hansen."

Don extended his hand to Jack first. "Mr Hansen. It's a pleasure, sir."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Don. And please, call me Jack."

He then shook hands with to Sarah.

"Noelle has told us a lot about you, Don. It is very nice to meet you," Sarah offered.

Noelle looked at her daughter, who was watching everything curiously. "So, were you a good girl for your grandma and grandpa, sweetie?"

The little girl nodded with a giggle, her laugh infectious and breaking whatever tension had been in the room.

"Why don't we all sit down?" Jack suggested.

The adults took their seats and the waitress came over with coffee for everyone. The four then fell into easy conversation. Noelle's parents asked Don about his job and he regaled them with some stories from his years on the streets. And Jack and Don quickly realized they shared a love of baseball and were soon analyzing the entire Yankees line-up.

After they had eaten, Noelle took Katie back to the ladies room, leaving Don with her parents.

He sipped his second cup of coffee, feeling a little nervous for the first time. He realized it was because as the meal had gone on, he had become more and more conscious of the large elephant in the room. The past his father shared with her family was not something that could be ignored. So, he cleared his throat as he set his coffee cup down. "I've heard before that I look a lot like my father did when he was my age," he started.

Sarah was a little thrown by the change of topic, but she quickly nodded. "You do."

"I apologize if it makes you feel at all uncomfortable."

Her expression softened then. "No. And the fact is, Don, your father was a very kind presence during a very dark time – twice, actually. How is he?"

"He's good. He retired a few years back. But he seems as busy now as he was then. He and my mother still live in Queens," Don explained. He hesitated for a moment. "He remembers your family."

"I'm not surprised. That's the kind of man he is. You're a lot like him, and not just in the way you look."

"I hope so. He set a fine example."

Jack smiled. He knew that while lot of men spent their lives trying to get out from behind their fathers' shadows, Don appreciated any comparisons and respected his father. To him, that was a good indicator of the values the young man possessed. "Is that why you become a detective?"

"I have to admit, when I was a kid, I used to think it was cool having a father who was a cop. And you know, my grandfather had been, too. I guess there was a sense of destiny about it. But more than anything, my father instilled in us a sense of justice and what's right. And it was important to me to do something that honoured that."

"That's a lot of integrity in that. But I imagine it can't be easy dealing with what you see every day and the crazy hours you must have to work."

"I guess I've gotten used to the hours. I went into the Academy right out of high school. As far as everything else, I've learned the key is finding balance and something that can centre you when you're off the job. You know, I love your daughter very much," Don explained to both of them. "Both her and Katie. They've become very important to me."

"And you to them. That much is very obvious," Jack replied.

"Noelle's been through a lot, but she's a remarkable woman and Katie's a great kid. And they deserve to always come first. As much as I love my job, Noelle and Katie will never come second to it. That doesn't mean I'll make it to every holiday and birthday party but I learned a long time ago that that's not necessarily the sign of a good partner or parent."

"You're right about that. But son, you don't have to try to win us over. You did that as soon as we saw the look on Noelle's face when she first told us about you."

Don chuckled softly, realizing maybe he had been laying it on a little thick. But he had not said anything that wasn't true. In fact, hearing the words come out of his own mouth made him realize just how much he meant them.

They moved on to discussing the trip the Hansens were planning to take to Arizona in November when Don felt a tug on his sleeve. He glanced down to find Katie standing beside his chair, her arms outstretched. He pushed his chair back and reached down to pick the little girl up, setting her on his lap and kissing the top of her head. "Hey, cutie."

Noelle sat down beside them, reaching over and ruffling her daughter's hair. "She insisted on sitting with you."

"Yeah? You know what? Your mommy told me that you like dogs. Is that right?"

"Doggies!"

Don smiled in amusement. "I have some friends who have a whole bunch of 'em and they teach them to do some really cool stuff like help people and find important things. Would you like to go visit them?"

Katie's eyes just lit up and the four adults all laughed at her excitement.

Don looked at Noelle. "A couple of buddies from the Academy work in the K-9 unit. They said I could bring her by."

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "That's fine with me, but as soon as she starts begging for one of her own, you get to deal with it."

He just shrugged. In his mind, it was just a matter of time before he, Noelle and Katie had a house somewhere with a dog chasing a ball in the backyard. It was a picture that had freaked him out back in the day before his mother stopped asking when he was going to settle down; but now, it was something that seemed more of a "when" as opposed to an "if".

When the bill arrived, Don heeded Noelle's earlier words. He did make a grab for it, but quickly relented when Jack insisted. The group then walked out into the parking lot.

"Thanks for brunch," Don said graciously. "It was really nice to finally meet you guys."

Jack shook his hand, but Sarah pulled the surprised detective into a hug. He quickly recovered and kissed her cheek.

Noelle fought back tears at how well the meeting had gone. She hugged both of her parents.

"Doggies!" Katie insisted impatiently, not caring about the poignant moment that had just been shared.

Noelle rolled her eyes and looked at Don pointedly. "See what you started?"

Don picked Katie up, ignoring the warning in his girlfriend's expression. "C'mon, cutie, let's go visit the doggies."

"Visit being the operative word…" Noelle muttered as they said their last goodbyes and headed across the parking lot to her car.

Jack and Sarah waved goodbye then stood there for a moment and watched the scene as Don struggled to buckle the excited little girl into her car seat.

"He's going to marry her," Sarah predicted.

"Sweetheart, it's a little early to be talking about marriage."

"You mark my words, Jack. Have you not learned after all these years not to bet against a Hansen woman?"

"You bet that the Jays were going to make it to the playoffs this year," he reminded her, leaning down and kissing her temple.

"I'm from Toronto, my dear. I say that every year."

"Yeah, well, Don just dug himself a big hole by putting the idea of a dog in our granddaughter's head, so we'll see."

"Did you not see the way Noelle looks at him? If Katie wants a dog, our daughter will never win against the two of them. Now come on, first pitch is in half an hour. And just because the Jays aren't going to make the playoffs this year doesn't mean they're not going to beat the Yanks this afternoon." She headed off towards their car.

"You know, you were living here before the Toronto even had a team. It wouldn't be wrong to root for the Yankees!" he called after her.


	14. Dogs

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"I really wish you would have talked to me about this before you put the idea in Katie's head," Noelle said, her tone hushed, as Don navigated her car through the city streets, Katie happily babbling away to herself in her car seat in the back.

"You let me take her to the zoo. I don't see what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that you can't have a tiger or a hippopotamus in your apartment. But she sees people every day getting on and off the elevators with d-o-g-s. And come on, aren't they all German Shepherds? They're big, and they're used to sniffing for drugs. They're going to scare her. This is a bad idea, Don, but now you've got her all excited about it!"

"Noli, one of the conditions for the canine unit is that they have to get along with others _and_ people. They're good…d-o-g-s. And I'm not taking her into a space with all thirty-four of them, okay? It's just going to be Coffey and Strong's. They're cool. Trust me."

She scowled. "You should have talked to me first. I'm her mother."

Don turned right onto the next side street and pulled the car over.

"What are you doing?" Noelle demanded as he shifted her Toyota into park.

"If we're going to have a fight, we're not going to do it in the middle of traffic," was his reply as he turned off the ignition. He turned to her, lowering his voice. "Look, you said she'd developed this thing for dogs and I just realized I could do this for her. It was never my intention to undermine you. I would never do that."

She furrowed her brow. She glanced back at Katie who seemed oblivious to the conversation taking place in the front seat, entertaining herself with her own conversation and a stuffed bear. She looked back at her boyfriend with a sigh. "I'm not wrong about the fact that you really should have consulted me first. _But_, I will concede that maybe I shouldn't have jumped on you about it like that."

"Concede? Who uses _concede_ outside of a courtroom?"

"We're fighting here, Don. Not a good time to be making fun of my impressive vocabulary."

"You'd apologized. I didn't realize we were still fighting."

Her eyes widened and she was about to argue further when she realized he was trying not to laugh. In spite of herself, she found a smile creeping across her face. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

He reached over and took her hand. "I will _concede_ that I should have consulted you first. But you've got to know that I would never intentionally take Katie into a situation I thought could be dangerous or scary for her. I love her, and I love you."

"Nice save there, Flack."

"I'm sorry, Noli," he said honestly.

Knowing his apology was sincere, she softened. "I love you, too, you know. And Katie thinks you hung the moon."

"Does that mean we can go see the d-o-g-s now?" he requested.

"Yes. But I'm reiterating that when she starts asking for one of her own, you're dealing with it."

"Reiterate? You do realize that only a small percentage of the population does the Sunday crossword in ink, don't you?" he teased her.

"One more snide comment about my vocabulary and you'll be going without favours of the s-e-x-u-a-l variety for a while. And by the way, quit playing dumb. As I recall, you _finished_ my crossword last weekend."

"How did you not know what 'maunder' meant?" He re-started her car and headed back out into the streets.

Fifteen minutes later, Don parked out front of the ESU's Truck 2. Seeing some activity out back, he eased Katie out of her car seat, then carried the little girl alongside her mother around the building to the grounds behind. Katie's eyes widened as she saw two German Shepherds running through the yard, one of them still a puppy.

"Doggies!" Katie exclaimed happily.

Don grinned at her excitement.

"Hey, Flack! Glad you could make it, man!" Rick Coffey greeted, walking over to the trio as they passed through the gate into the yard.

Don shook hands with his old Academy buddy. "Good to see ya, Rick. This is Noelle Hansen. Noelle, Rick Coffey."

Noelle shook Rick's hand. "Nice to meet you." She appraised him, still a little dubious about this whole thing. He was a few inches shorter than Don, compact, but well-built. Wearing an old grey Academy t-shirt and black track pants, he had short, spiky blond hair and green eyes. He reminded her a little of her brother. Between that and his long-time affiliation with Don, she knew she should trust her boyfriend's judgment and let this play out.

Don tickled Katie, causing her to giggle. "And this little princess here is Katie."

Rick smiled at the little girl. "Hi ya, Katie."

She buried her face in Don's neck shyly.

"It's okay, cutie. He's my friend," Don assured her. "Where's Strong?"

"He just headed inside. He'll be back in a few."

"What's with the little guy? He in training?"

"Yeah. Strong had to retire Sasha, so he's training this one. What do you say, Katie? Do you want to meet _my_ friends?" Rick asked her.

"Do you want to visit the doggies, sweetie?" Don encouraged.

She nodded eagerly.

Coffey whistled, and the older dog instantly appeared at his side, the puppy soon following. Rick crouched down and fondly petted the bigger dog's head. "This here is Rocco. And the little one is Wally."

Don crouched down and set Katie down in front of him, just a couple feet from the dogs.

The little girl appraised both dogs as if they were the greatest things she had ever seen. Her eyes were wide in wonder and she had the biggest smile on her face.

Noelle could not help but smile at the look on her daughter's face. She had a feeling she was going to be hearing 'I told you so' later.

"Can she pet them?" Don asked Rick.

"Sure." Rick held onto Rocco's collar, Wally lying down beside the bigger dog.

Don had expected Katie to be drawn to the puppy, but she was clearly enamoured with Rocco, and he, it appeared, with her. So, he took her hand and guided it to the older dog's head and they petted him a few times.

"Doggie," she said softly, in awe.

"Don Flack. You must be slummin'!"

Don laughed, standing up as another man strode towards them. "Jason Strong. God, how long's it been?"

"Too long, my friend, too long. How ya doin', man?"

"I'm good, Real good. This is my girlfriend, Noelle Hansen, and her daughter Katie."

He nodded at Noelle. "Hey, how are ya?" Jason was tall and black, standing a couple inches even above Flack. Like Rick, he was well built.

"Hi. Thank you guys for doing this," she offered.

"Not a problem."

Katie stepped closer to Rocco and gently continued to pet his head.

Seeing that Katie was fine with the two dogs, Don took the opportunity to catch up with his friends and Noelle was entertained with some stories from their Academy days. She kept a careful watch on her daughter, but soon both Katie and Rocco were sitting on the ground, the little girl babbling at the dog, while Wally had wandered around and lay down by Jason's feet.

"Well, we've taken up enough of your time. I really appreciate you doing this for Katie," Don said to his friends after close to half an hour.

"Don't mention it. It was good seein' ya," Rick replied.

"You and Messer still hangin' at Sullivan's?" Jason asked.

Don shrugged. "Now and then. But things have slowed down a bit since he's got the twins."

"Damn. Messer a father. Well, why don't we come down sometime when you guys are gonna be there and we'll shoot a couple games of pool."

"Sounds good. All right, Katie, we have to go now, cutie."

"Mine," she announced.

Rocco cocked his head then turned and licked her face.

She giggled. "My doggie."

"Oh, God," Noelle sighed.

Don crouched down next to the little girl. "Uh, cutie, Rocco has to stay with Rick. He has a very important job to do. But we can come back and visit him."

"My doggie," she repeated.

"Hey, Katie, you can come back and visit Rocco any time you want," Rick offered.

"You'd like that, right, sweetheart? We'll come back and visit him, okay?" Don said.

"No! Mine!"

He glanced up at his girlfriend for help.

She shook her head, her look telling him that since he got himself into this, he would have to get himself out.

Jason and Rick both caught the look that passed between the couple and resisted the urge to laugh at their friend. Seeing their Academy buddy at the mercy of a fifteen month old little girl was going to give them material for years.

"Katie, sweetie, I promise, I'll bring you back to visit Rocco, but he can't come home with us."

Her lip started to quiver and her brows furrowed, and Don realized he was screwed as she started to cry.

"C'mere, cutie." He drew her into his arms and picked her up, rubbing her back and trying to soothe her. "Rocco's pretty cool, huh? You know what the best thing about him is, though? He works for the police, just like me, and just like Danny and Lindsay. Lots and lots of people need him."

She continued to cry, her sobs muffled against his shoulder.

"I know you love Rocco. But you would be really, really sad if you didn't have Mommy, right? Well, Rick will be very, very sad if he doesn't have Rocco. But I promise you, we can visit whenever you want. I'm sure Rocco would really like that."

Katie pulled back and looked at Don, her face tear-stained. She hiccoughed a couple times. "No doggie?"

Don shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

She started sobbing again.

Noelle shook her head. "C'mere, baby. It's okay, sweetheart." She took her daughter from her boyfriend, flashed the guys an apologetic look, and then headed off towards the car with her daughter crying in her arms.

"I think you're gonna have to buy that kid a dog," Rick smirked.

"I think I'll be lucky if I even have visitation rights after this," Don muttered. "Thanks guys. See ya around."

When Don reached the car, he found Noelle sitting in the passenger seat with the door open, rocking her daughter in her arms. Katie's sobs were quieting and Don realized she was crying herself to sleep.

They waited until Katie was in fact asleep, then Noelle buckled her into her car seat, placing her stuffed bear in her arms. She shut the car door as quietly as she could then climbed back into the passenger seat as Don got into the car himself.

For a moment, they both sat there. Don made no moves to start the car, and Noelle did not ask him why. Finally they both turned and looked at one another, and at the same time, they each said, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Don asked incredulously.

"No, you were right," Noelle said.

"Okay, I just stepped into the twilight zone. How was I possibly right? The kid's gonna hate me and you should be pissed at me for upsetting her."

"Donnie, didn't you see how happy she was? For half an hour, you gave that little girl a little piece of heaven. That what she's going to remember."

"So, you're not mad?"

"No. Look, I've never been a big fan of dogs, partly because when I was a kid, I was afraid of them. But for some reason, Katie's developed a fascination with them lately. And thanks to you, I won't pass my fear on to her. She'll get over the fact that we couldn't bring Rocco home with us. But what she'll never get over is how great it was to sit with him and pet him, and what it felt like to have him lick her face. So, no, I'm not mad."

Don sat back in his seat. "I'm sorry, Noli. I really don't know what I'm doing here."

She laughed softly. "And you think I do? I adopted Katie because I thought I could give her a better life than the one she would have otherwise, but don't think I don't wonder every day if I'm just screwing her up. But I think I figured out that as long as what you do comes from a place of love, it can never be all wrong. You did this today because you knew she loved dogs and you wanted to make her happy. You did it because you love her. And I can't help but love you madly for that." She leaned across the seat and met his lips in a gentle kiss.

"I love you. Both of you." He kissed her again.

"C'mon, let's get you home. You've had a big day. You met my parents, we had our first fight, and you witnessed your first temper tantrum…"

"And I wouldn't trade any of it for the world."

She smiled. "Good 'cause it's gonna take a lot more than a German Shepherd and a crying child to make me give you up. You're pretty much stuck with us."

"You know, if you'd actually gotten mad and we were fighting, it would have gotten you out of dinner with my folks tomorrow."

"I know. I must really love you."

He smirked.

"Now let's go home. Katie'll probably be out for another hour or so, and I hear that make-up s-e-x is pretty good."

"Christ. Have I told you lately how impressed I am with your vocabulary?"


	15. Jump

**A/N **Some chapters just write themselves. This is one of them. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Jump, could you please grab the linen table cloth from the hall closet when you come down?" Margaret Flack called up the stairs.

Donald Flack, Sr., finished the article he had been reading in the Sunday paper, then got up from his arm chair in the den. He wandered down the hall and opened up the linen closet, studying the contents until he found what he guessed was the requested item, then headed down the stairs. He found his wife in the dining room, pulling silverware out of the chest, a wedding present now over forty years old. "Is this what you wanted, sweetheart?"

She glanced up with a nod. "Yes, thank you. I also need you to bring the high chair up from the basement, if you don't mind."

"Of course." As his wife continued pulling out utensils and plates, he headed through the living room, flipping on the stereo on his way by, then he went down into the basement. He easily found the high chair and carried it back up the stairs. As he set it up by the table, he smiled. "The roast smells wonderful. Our son will be upset you went to so much trouble, though."

"Donnie's bringing a girl home. It's a momentous occasion," Margaret declared.

Don Sr. chuckled as he helped set the table. He watched his wife out of the corner of his eye, and could not help but think that she was even more beautiful than the day he married her. Her shoulder length dark hair had only started greying, and she looked younger than her sixty years. Her numerous hobbies, including frequent babysitting of one or more of her eight grandchildren, kept her fit.

She caught him staring and blushed slightly. "Set the table, Jump. I recognize that look and there's no time."

"Ah, c'mon, Maggie. Remember this song? We danced to it at our wedding, didn't we?" He took the plate out of her hand and pulled her into his arms, dancing her around the room.

She indulged in the moment, treasuring the feel of her husband's arms around her. Even after forty years of marriage, he could still make her heart race. "I hope Donnie inherited your sense of romance," she commented with a smile as they danced.

"Well, he must be doing something right. He's crazy about this girl and she's still hanging around," he replied.

"I just hope today is not uncomfortable for Noelle,"

Don Sr. had told his wife of how he had met their son's girlfriend all those years ago, keeping the details of the case vague but wanting to prepare her. "We just have to make her feel welcome."

A timer went off in the kitchen, and Maggie slipped from her husband's arms. But not before she kissed him gently. "You were a good cop, my love, but I have to admit that I am glad to have you all to myself these days. I wonder if Noelle really understands the life she is getting into."

"You wouldn't change anything, would you?"

"I didn't say that, because you know I wouldn't. But it's not the easiest way to live."

He finished setting the table while she tended to dinner in the kitchen, both humming along as Frank Sinatra sang on the radio. Once he was done, he walked into the living room, picking up a picture from the mantle. Taken after the ceremony in which Don was given a commendation following the Wilder drug bust, it was the most recent picture of Don Sr., Maggie, and their four children. A sense of pride filled him even now and he wished that his son would one day feel the same about his own family.

Seeing a car turn into the front drive pulled him from his thoughts, and he set the picture back down. "They're here," he announced.

Maggie soon joined him and together they walked to the front door and opened it to greet their guests. Standing in the doorway, both were soon taken by the sight of their oldest son unbuckling a toddler from her car seat and pulling her out and into his arms. Don Sr. could not believe that the beautiful young woman gazing at his son with such affection was the same girl he had discovered standing in the back of that courtroom all those years ago.

"Hey, Pop. Ma," Don greeted with a smile as the trio came up the front steps. "This is Noelle. And this here, this is Katie."

Katie did not turn away as she usually did at the sight of strangers. Instead, she looked directly at Don's father with a wide grin. "Hi," she said softly.

"Well, hello there, Katie," Don Sr. replied. He looked then at Noelle with warm smile. "Hello, Noelle. Welcome."

"Thank you, Detective Flack. It's very nice to see you again," she greeted. She stepped forward but instead of shaking his hand, she found herself hugging him.

Catching an almost relieved expression on his son's face, the elder Flack hugged the young woman back.

Noelle offered Don's mother a warm hug as well. "Mrs Flack, it's nice to meet you," Noelle said cordially as she pulled back and looked at the woman.

"You, too, my dear. And please, it's Maggie."

"And Detective Flack is this guy here now. Call me Jump. Everyone does," Don Sr. advised.

"Excuse me? _Jump_?" Noelle asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Don rolled his eyes. "Don't ask."

"It's a long story that I'm sure my husband won't mind sharing with you, _later_," Maggie explained.

"Much later," Don muttered.

"Don't mind them, young lady. It's a tale that hasn't lost its charm, even after forty-six years. Now come in, come in, all of you. Katie here has some exploring to do. Don't you, cutie?"

Katie giggled at the term of endearment usually only used by Don. "Down," she requested.

As Don obliged and set her down on the front step, Katie reached for his father's hand.

The elder Flack's eyes lit up. "Ah, someone who wants to hear my stories. Come on, cutie. Let's get you settled. I bet you like apple juice. I'm going to get you some out of my private stash, all right?"

Noelle watched in amazement as her daughter accompanied Don's father inside and began following him around and hanging onto his every word. She realized that the little girl must have recognized the similarities between Don and his dad, just as she had. Whatever the reason, she was glad her daughter was charming the couple so easily. She just hoped that she would have the same fortune.

"Oh, Noelle, she is just beautiful," Maggie gushed as the young couple removed their shoes and hung up their jackets in the front hall closet, Don Sr. already escorting Katie on a tour.

"Thank you. She's a very happy little girl. She's brought a lot of joy to my life."

"I can imagine. Please, come on in and make yourselves at home."

The three walked into the living room, and Noelle was instantly drawn to the numerous family pictures on the mantle. There were photos of the families of Don's three siblings, a copy of the same photograph he kept on his desk at work, then some older pictures of him and his brother and sisters as children. "Oh, Donnie, is this you?" she asked with a laugh, holding up a picture of a ten year old all dressed in hockey gear.

Don walked over to her side and looked at the photo. "Yeah," he admitted.

"You were so adorable!" Seeing him blush slightly, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, "You still are."

"We couldn't get him off the rink," Maggie explained. "He wanted to play for the Rangers."

Noelle winked at her boyfriend, enjoying the slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Fortunately for the NYPD, he can interrogate a suspect better than he could tend goal," he father added, returning with Katie joyfully in tow, a sippy cup in her hand filled with apple juice.

"Thanks a lot guys," Don groaned.

Over dinner, the Flacks regaled Noelle with stories of a young Don, while she told them of her family, and entertained them with the tale of Katie and Rocco from the day before. By the time the table was cleared, Noelle felt as welcomed into the Flack clan as Don had been into the Hansens' the day before.

Walking back into the living room after helping Maggie with the dishes, Noelle sat down on the arm of the chair Don Sr. was occupying. "Okay, you have to tell me. How did you ever get the nickname 'Jump'?" she asked curiously.

The elder gentleman sat back in his chair, a glint in his eye as he glanced up at his son's girlfriend.

"There's not enough apple juice in the world, kid," Don said quietly, ruffling Katie's hair as she sipped away at her juice and settled into his lap.

"Don't listen to him," Noelle chuckled. "Tell me."

"Well, it was my first night on the job. You have to picture it, an eighteen year old out on the beat for the first time. My partner and I, we were driving around the north district, when a call comes over the radio of a robbery in progress not two blocks from where we were. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time as we pull up in front of this brownstone, the front door wide open. As we get out of the car, I notice our suspect running a couple blocks up ahead, so I take off on foot, in hot pursuit--"

"The adrenaline coursing through his veins, making him oblivious to the fear," Don narrated sardonically.

Noelle shot him a glare but he just laughed. He had heard this story so many times, he knew it chapter and verse.

Don Sr. paid his son no heed, looking at Noelle as he continued. "I'm chasing this son-of-a-bitch through the streets for at least six, seven blocks, then he ducks down into this alley. I follow him in and he quickly realizes he's trapped. I tell him to put his hands up as I draw my gun, ready to make my first collar. It's the moment I've been dreaming about ever since I was a kid and my own father took me to work with him one night. Then just as he's about to comply, this alley cat comes racing out from behind a garbage can, startling me so bad I must have jumped ten feet in the air! I dropped my gun and the robber took the opportunity and took off running again and got away."

"Oh, no!" Noelle exclaimed, but she couldn't help laughing.

"My partner catches up and of course, I have to tell him what happened. Riley took to calling me Jump right then and there. But, there's a happy ending," Don Sr. said with a wink. "Not two nights later, I arrested the guy three blocks away after another robbery. Turned out to be my first collar after all."

Noelle smiled. "But Jump stuck, huh?"

"Trust me, darlin', there were worse names to get stuck with in the department."

She glanced over at her boyfriend, who despite having heard the story millions of times, still had a look of pride and a little bit of wonder about him. She knew he revered his father and adored his mother, and even having just spent an evening with his parents, she understood why.

Don looked down to see that Katie was almost asleep. "Maybe we should get going," he suggested.

Noelle nodded a little reluctantly and stood. "Thank you both for such a wonderful evening."

"It was our pleasure," Maggie replied. "And we hope it was just the first of many."

Don got up with Katie in his arms.

"Donnie, would you mind just helping me move something up in the den? It will be quick, I promise, son," his father requested.

"Sure, Pop." He handed the drowsy child over to her mother, kissed Noelle's cheek, then followed his father up the stairs. "Did you want to finally move the computer desk to the other side of the room?" he asked as they walked into the den.

"Uh, no, son. I actually wanted to give you something and I was pretty sure you wouldn't want me to do it in front of Noelle." Jump walked over and opened a drawer in the chest sitting in the corner of the room. He returned to his son and handed him a small jewellery box.

Don raised his eyebrows. "What's this, old man?"

"Open it."

Curiously, Don opened the box to find an antique diamond ring.

"It was your grandmother's. My mother's. She always wanted you to have it. I hung onto it all of these years because it had never seemed like you would need it. But I have a feeling things are changing for you, my boy."

"Pop…"

"Oh, now, I'm not suggesting you drop down to one knee tonight. But I've seen the way you look at that girl, Donnie. And what makes me and your mother even happier is the way she looks at you. And that wonderful little girl of hers…They make you happy."

Don nodded. He glanced at the ring, taking a deep breath.

Don Sr. reached over and patted his son's cheek. "You're a good man, Donnie. I'm proud of you. But what makes me proud is not that you were instrumental in that Wilder bust, or all of the murderers you have put behind bars. What makes me proud is that you are a man of honour and strength and that you've figured out what's really important in this life. When the time comes and you slip that ring on that girl's finger, you remember that. There is nothing more important than a man's family."

"I know, Dad. You taught me that."

"You, Will, Elizabeth and Laura, you're my legacy. Not the medals or commendations in that case over there."

Don closed the box and slipped it into his pocket with a nod.

As the two men headed back downstairs, Jump clapped his son on the shoulder. "Mac Taylor still overseeing everything there at the Crime Lab?"

"Yes, sir."

"You can always count on a Marine. This city is indebted to him. What about Messer, how's he dealing with fatherhood?"

"He's an incredible father," Noelle answered as the men joined them in the entryway, having heard the question.

Jump shook his head a little incredulously. "Do you know I told Taylor to think twice about hiring him all those years ago? Not my proudest moment. That boy made good. We should have him and his lovely wife over for dinner."

"That's a good idea, Pop," said Don. He gave his father a hug, then kissed his mother's cheek. "Thanks for dinner, Ma."

Don and Noelle said their goodbyes and headed out, leaving Don Sr. and Margaret to their empty house once again.

"You gave him the ring, didn't you?" Maggie asked as they went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

"Yes, I did."

"Good. He better use it or I'm disowning that boy."

Jump chuckled. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Nothing at all."


	16. Digging Around

"What have you got, Sheldon?" Stella asked as she walked into one of the computer labs where Hawkes was sitting in front of a flat screen monitor.

"Turns out our vic is an ex-con," he explained.

"Really. Anything recent?"

Sheldon glanced at the file on the computer screen. "No. Convicted back in '92 on two assault charges. One was a rape, committed with a deadly weapon. Served ten, then two years probation."

"So nothing for, what, about five years now? Well, there goes a revenge motive."

"Maybe, maybe not. It says here the profile was accessed back in July."

Stella quirked an eyebrow. "Why was someone digging into the file of our vic just three months ago?"

"Good question."

"Can you find out who accessed it?"

"That's what I'm trying to do right now." He punched some keys. "Hmm. It was a computer here at the lab."

"I don't suppose –"

"Just give me a sec here, Stel," he cut in, flashing his brightest smile, "I'm one step ahead of you."

She laughed. "I knew I could count on you, Sheldon."

The computer beeped and Hawkes furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"It was Danny."

"Danny?"

"Well, at least his desk top. Look at this. The sexual assault actually dates back to '79."

"So, three months ago, Danny was looking into a case that goes back to 1992 but even as far back as '79, and now the man convicted of those two crimes is dead?"

"There's no link here to the actual case files. Guess it hasn't been updated under the RTCC yet."

Stella narrowed her eyes. "We need to find out what there was about this old case that had Danny digging around. I'll go down to records and see if I can get the case files."

"And Danny's on nights – should be here in the next hour or so. I'll talk to him as soon as he gets in, see what he knows."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Hey, man. Sorry, I'm late. I took Lindsay to at a matinee at the Met then we had dinner in the city," Danny explained as he slid into the booth at Sullivan's across from his best friend.

"The opera?"

"Don't look at me like that. The tickets were a gift. Apparently from someone who doesn't like me very much."

Don laughed but not very convincingly. He continued to fidget with the glass of soda before him.

"What's goin' on? Your message sounded important."

Don took a deep breath then pulled from his pocket the box his father had given him weeks earlier. He set it on the table and slid it across in front of Danny.

"What's this?"

"See for yourself."

Curiously, Danny picked the box up and opened it. He smirked then as he studied its contents. "You know, Flack, really, I'm flattered. But I thought we agreed we'd only ever be friends."

Don glared at him, snatching the box back and shutting it before setting it back down on the table. "Shut the hell up, Messer."

"Fine, so, it's an engagement ring. Congratulations."

"You're really behind this? You're not going to try and talk me out of it, tell me it's too soon?" Don asked incredulously.

"Why would I? Hansen's great. Besides, Lindsay said if you guys were to ever break up, we were keeping Noelle and gettin' rid of you, so I kind of have a vested interested in keeping you together," Danny kidded.

"You're not helping."

"What the hell's your problem, man? I have never seen you like this with a woman before – you've been crazy about her since you two met. Don't you want to marry her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you lost me, buddy."

"I think Noli's going to get freaked out. It's only been four and a half months."

"Time ain't a luxury we have – not in this city and not in our line of work. Mac and Claire thought they had all the time in the world. Aiden had her entire life ahead of her. My brother, man, he still carries scars. And take it from a man on the other side of this marriage thing, if you love a woman enough to promise her forever, then forever sure as hell ain't long enough."

Don sat back in the booth, weighing his friend's words. "Who ever thought I'd see that day when I was taking advice on marriage from you?"

Danny laughed. "There's some irony there. Look, what makes you think Noelle's gonna get scared off? I mean, she comes from a pretty solid family. Her parents are still together, despite the stuff they've gone through. And she's crazy in love with you for some reason."

Don rolled his eyes at the last off-hand comment, but then explained, "Happiness scares her. It's like she's always waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"So prove to her it won't."

Flack considered. He knew Danny was right. He picked up the box and opened it, looking at the ring for a moment. "I really love her, man. And the thought of ever losing her…" He sighed. "I've been carrying this thing around for weeks. I don't know."

"Do you want to marry her?"

"More than I've ever wanted anything in my life."

"Then just don't screw up the proposal and she won't say 'no'."

"So do something like proposing on a baseball diamond in Staten Island, huh?"

Danny grinned. "Best move I ever made."

"And pray she doesn't run away screaming."

Before Danny could say anything further, Don's cell phone buzzed, indicating the receipt of a text message. He opened his phone to the notification of a new case. "I gotta go. DB in Washington Heights."

Danny's phone beeped then as well. He pulled it off his belt and glanced at the message. "And Hawkes needs to see me. I'll walk you out."

Danny and Don parted ways outside Sullivan's as Flack headed for the parking garage to grab his SUV and head out to the scene. Danny headed up to the thirty-fifth floor of 1 Police Plaza. He dropped off his stuff in his office, then headed through the maze of corridors until he found Sheldon in the Trace Lab.

"What's the emergency, Hawkes?" Danny asked.

Sheldon glanced up from the microscope he was hunched over. "Oh, hey, Danny. Stella and I need some info for the case we're working on. DB's a William Alton. You pulled his file a few months ago. Ring any bells?"

Danny considered for a moment. "Alton?"

"Put away in '92 on two assault charges, one stemming from a rape in '79."

Messer hesitated as he placed the name and circumstances. He considered, wondering how much to disclose without betraying Noelle's confidence. "Is this a homicide?" he asked, deflecting for a moment.

"Gunshot to the head. Found in midtown early this morning."

"Any leads?"

"Why all the questions, Danny? What do you know?"

Before Danny could formulate a response, Stella came breezing in, her eyes focused on the case file in her hands. "Sheldon, you won't believe this. The rape victim? Her name is –"

"Sarah Hansen," Danny finished for her. "Noelle's mother."

Stella glanced up, almost doing a double take as she noticed Danny for the first time. "Danny."

"We gotta call Flack."

"Don can't be anywhere near this. You know that."

"I'm not talkin' about callin' him in on the case. I'm talkin' 'bout givin' our friend the heads up that his girlfriend's family is about to get pulled into a murder investigation."

"Danny, what do you know?" Sheldon demanded.

"Can we go off the record for a second?" he requested.

Stella walked over and closed the door to the lab, giving the three of them some privacy and Danny an answer to his question. "Okay. Start with why you were accessing the file on William Alton three months ago."

"I was lookin' for his last known address. For Noelle."

"Why?"

"Because. Look, she had her reasons and they had nothing to do with confronting him about the rape."

"What happened when she saw him?" Sheldon asked.

"She didn't. I never gave her the info. It turned out…Look, just trust me, okay?"

Stella hesitated. "Danny, I know you want to protect Noelle – we all do. But we need to know what's going on here."

"Do you have anything connecting her _or_ any member of her family to this homicide?"

"Other than the fact that she had you checking into William Alton's record just three months ago and now the man's dead?"

"Yeah, other than that."

"No, there's nothing here," replied Sheldon.

"Then leave her out of this. Unless you have probable cause to even question her, please, I'm asking as a friend – for Noelle _and_ for Don – leave her out of this," Danny requested. "You have no idea what that family has been through because of that rape."

Stella furrowed her brow. "And that right there is motive."


	17. Alibis

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"My so-called DB in Washington Heights? Yeah, turned out to be three counts of public mischief. Damn frat boys," Don sighed as he walked into the Trace Lab where he found Danny, Sheldon and Stella. "So, what's up? I was hoping to get out on time for a change, you know, spend a couple hours with Noelle while she's actually conscious."

The three CSI's glanced at one another, an unvocalized argument taking place: "You tell him" "No, you tell him"

"Okay, guys, what's goin' on?" Don pressed impatiently.

Finally, it was Danny that spoke: "William Alton is dead."

Don absorbed the news, then seeing the look on Danny's face, asked, "How?"

"Shot in the head. Last night," Stella explained.

"Christ."

"Don, we know that Danny pulled Alton's file for Noelle. Now, he wouldn't tell us why, but it raises some questions and –"

"You cannot be serious, Stel!" Don exclaimed.

"Flack, we're not accusing her of anything. We just need some answers," Sheldon explained.

He looked at all three of them angrily. "Here's an answer: Noelle was with me last night. I got to her place around nine and spent the night. If that's not enough for you, check her phone records. Her sister-in-law called about ten-thirty and the two of 'em talked for well over an hour. Then we went to sleep. And no matter how soundly I might sleep, I woulda noticed if my girlfriend slipped out of bed and left me and her daughter to go shoot someone in the head!"

"What's going on in here?" Mac asked from the doorway of the lab. He had been walking by and had seen the foursome gathered together, the serious expressions on their faces. Then he had heard Don's voice rise, a distinct irate tone underlying his words. Knowing that they were not all working on the same case, his suspicions had been raised.

Flack just shook his head, running a hand through his hair at how preposterous this whole thing was. It was not going to be hard to prove that Noelle had nothing to do with this. But there were secrets she had trust him and Danny with that he knew were about to be revealed if he had any hope of keeping this from touching her and the family he had come to think of as his own.

"Anyone?" Mac demanded when no one made any moves to speak.

Danny sighed. If he was going to get reamed out, might as well get it over with. He looked to Don first, though, a request for permission in his eyes, and Don just nodded in resignation. "This case Hawkes and Stella pulled? The DB's connected to Don's girl and her family," he started.

Mac raised his eyebrows, appraising the three members of his team before turning to the homicide detective. "How?"

"The vic raped Noelle's mother thirty years ago," Don replied.

"And three months ago…" Danny took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He replaced his glasses then and looked at Mac. "Three months ago, Noelle came to me and asked if it was possible to run her DNA against the system, to see if there was any match. She thought William Alton – Hawkes' and Stella's vic here – might be her father."

"Oh, my God," Stella muttered under her breath.

"I ran the sample. And I also pulled Alton's file to get his last known address. I thought if there was a match and he was her father, she might want to know how to reach him. But the test of negative," Danny explained. He looked at Stella and Sheldon. "I never gave her the contact information. She had no need for it because there was no chance that William Alton was her father."

"Damn it, Danny, you know you broke protocol to use the Lab's resources –" Mac began.

"I know that, Mac. But I ran the test on my own time and I made sure it didn't take any precedence over any official searches going on. I know that doesn't make it okay, and you can do whatever you feel you need to. But I'm not gonna lie to you. I would do it again. Our mandate is to protect and serve and to find justice. That's what I did for a friend."

Mac sighed. "So, where are we in _this_ investigation?"

"We have nothing," Stella explained. "There's no match in IBIS for the bullet. No signs of robbery. No trace on the vic's clothes. All we _had_ was the daughter of one of his victims digging into his records three months ago, but now that Danny's explained that…"

"What about another member of Noelle's family?"

Don glared at Taylor. "Mac –"

"Don, for five minutes, forget that she's your girlfriend and remember that you're a homicide detective. They have motive."

"The rape was thirty years ago. He was found and convicted twelve years later. He's been out now for seven. Jesus, if anyone was going to kill him over it, why the hell would they have waited until now?"

"Because until three months ago, they thought he might be Noelle's father."

"This is ridiculous!" Don exclaimed. "If you're going to seriously include them all on your suspect list, then you might as well add me because I had as much reason to hate the guy as the rest of 'em."

The room grew quiet for a moment, the tension palpable.

Finally, it was Mac who broke the silence. "Stella, Sheldon, look over every piece of evidence you have again. Dig deeper, make sure nothing has been overlooked. For now, we'll keep the Hansens out of this, unless the science gives us cause otherwise. Danny, Don, I want to see both of you in my office. Now." He then turned on his heels and headed out of the room.

Both Messer and Flack knew better than to ignore an order from the former Marine, so they trudged down the corridors of the Crime Lab to join him in his office. Danny closed the door behind them, bracing himself for whatever wrath was about to come down upon him for breaking the rules.

"Danny—"

"I know what you're gonna say Mac."

"Do you?" Taylor asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Uh, maybe not. You don't have that look on your face you usually do when you're about to yell," Messer back-tracked.

A slightly amused smiled played on Mac's lips. "You know, I could suspend you."

"But you're not gonna, right?" Danny asked hopefully.

"Right. However—"

"I knew that was too easy," Danny muttered, glancing at Don.

"Look, we do have a serious issue here. And it's not that you ran that test for Noelle. It's that in accessing this Alton's file, a thirty year old crime has been tied to a current murder investigation."

"Mac, there is no way in hell that any one in Noelle's family had anything to do with this," Flack cut in defensively. "There is no vengeance in that family. All any of them has ever wanted is to put all of this behind them, and when they found out that William Alton was _not_ Noli's father, it finally allowed them to do that."

"Then we need to find out who else had motive to want this guy dead. What else does this guy have on his record?"

"Another assault in '90. It was that arrest and the collection of his DNA at that time that connected him to the rape of Noelle's mother," Danny replied.

"I'll have Sheldon and Stella look into that other assault. In the meantime, neither of you can be anywhere near this. And Danny, you're in the lab for the next two weeks. No field work."

Danny was not about to argue. If that was the limit of his punishment for breaking the rules, he would take it. Besides, it meant he would probably get out on time and actually have a chance to spend some time with his wife and kids.

"Get back to work. I want to talk to Don alone for a moment."

Danny just nodded. He flashed Flack a quick look that said he was sorry any of this was happening, then he headed out of the office.

Mac gestured for Don to sit as he took his own seat behind his desk. Unlike the others who had all had opportunities to hang out with Noelle, he had only met her a couple of times in passing. He had obviously underestimated Don's involvement with her after seeing how vehemently he had defended her and her family, as well as the lengths Danny had gone to help her. "You're serious about this woman," Taylor observed.

"I love her, Mac. More than anything."

"That doesn't make you very objective."

"Maybe not. But I know what I know."

Mac considered for a moment. "We'll do what we can to keep this away from the Hansens. But you've got to understand, there may come a time when we need to question Noelle's parents."

"I got it. But I'm asking you, as a friend, if that needs to happen, come to me first. They don't need to know about any of this unless that time comes. And if it does, I want to be the one to tell them."

"Okay. I can give you that."

"Thank you."

Mac nodded, then studied Don for a moment. "So, how serious are we talking here?"

Don smiled at the question. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her." He hesitated then. "I just haven't figured out how to ask her if she feels the same way yet. How did you propose to Claire?"

There was a twinkle in the usually serious man's eye as he recalled the memory. "It was on the rooftop of the building I was living in at the time. We had a picnic dinner overlooking the city, then I got on one knee and I asked her to marry me."

"Did you know she was going to say 'yes'?"

Mac chuckled softly. "I thought there was no chance, but if she did, I knew I would be the luckiest man in the world."

Don nodded at that.

"You can never know with certainty what another person is thinking or what they will do. But you can trust what you feel and what you know deep within yourself. But Don, take it from someone who learned the hard way: don't waste whatever time you have."

"Thanks, Mac. For everything." Don stood, nodded once more at his friend and colleague, then departed from the office.

With a sigh, Don walked down the hall until he reached Danny and Lindsay's shared office. He saw his best friend sitting behind his desk, clearly lost in the thought. He rapped softly on the door jamb.

Danny glanced up. "Hey, man. Sorry."

"Not your fault. I appreciate the heads up. And I'm grateful for what you did for Noelle. I don't know if I said it at the time."

Danny shrugged. "You would've done the same for Lindsay. That's what we do, right? Look, I'll keep my ear to the ground, let you know what I hear."

"Thanks."

"Now, get out of here. I have two weeks of lab duty to anticipate."

Don smirked, clapped the door frame, then headed off.

An hour later, he let himself into Noelle's apartment. It was after eleven and the place was dark. His hope for some time with her had been cut short by the revelations at the Lab and he sighed a little in frustration. He knew she had an early meeting in the morning and that she was probably sound asleep already.

He slipped off his shoes and hung up his jacket, then wandered down the hall to Katie's room to check in on her. He quietly opened the door and walked inside, glancing down into her crib where he expected to find her fast asleep. Instead, she was lying on her back with her teddy bear in her arms, chattering away quietly to the stuffed toy. "Hey, cutie. What are you doing awake?"

She giggled at him.

"C'mere." He reached down and scooped her up in his arms. He flipped on the lamp on the dresser, then took a seat in the rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room. "You should be sleeping."

"Story."

"You want a story? Didn't your mommy already read you one?"

"'gain." She looked up at him with a pleading smile, one he had never successfully managed to refuse.

He laughed softly. "All right. But then you got to go to sleep for me, okay? And no tellin' your ma about this."

She snuggled into his arms as he reached down and pulled one of her many picture books out of the bin by the chair. It was Noelle's nightly ritual to sit in the chair and read to her daughter. He had been given the privilege more than a few times and there was something in the innocence and normalcy of that time with Katie that he treasured.

By the time he was half-way through the book, Katie had fallen back to sleep. He smiled, setting the book aside. However, he did not rush to put her back to bed. Instead, he rocked for a few minutes with her in his arms, reflecting on how quickly his life had changed. Sure, he had volunteered at the Y for years, and he spent what time he could with his nieces and nephews. But he had always kidded that what was great was that at the end of the day, he could give those kids back to their parents. He had never really thought about being a father himself. But now, as he held Katie, he knew without a doubt that wanted to be _her_ father. He knew he would do anything to always make sure she and her mother were safe and protected, and more than that, loved. And the words both Danny and Mac had spoken to him about not wasting time seemed to resonate loudly in his own mind and in his heart.

"I love you, sweetheart," he whispered to the sleeping child, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Don put Katie back down, then got ready for bed himself. Quietly entering Noelle's bedroom, he slid into bed next to his girlfriend. He moved up close behind her and kissed her cheek.

"You're late," she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

She pulled his arm around her and nestled back against him. "Catch more bad guys?"

"Tonight, just jackass frat kids."

"Hmm. I love you anyway. You know, you and Mark are lucky."

"We know, but you saying that for any specific reason?"

"You called me like three hours ago and said you were on your way, and you just got in now. But I'm not saying anything. See, I'm a very understanding girlfriend."

"You're the best, babe," he concurred, kissing her temple. "But what's that got to do with Mark?"

"Oh, he didn't get home himself last night until after one. Jennie's understanding is right up there with mine."

"What?"

"At least you were trying to make the world safer. My brother just loses track of time when he gets coding. I'll never understand how someone could enjoy coding so much." She sighed then, sleep pulling her back under.

Don rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, his years on the job sending his mind into overdrive. He hated the possible conclusions that could be drawn, the suspicions forming in his head. More than anything, he felt his heart constrict as he realized that Noelle would probably hate him if she knew he had ever even entertained the possibility…


	18. Always a Detective

**A/N **I hope everyone was all right with Mac's reaction in the previous chapter. I originally intended for him to rake Danny over the coals for breaking the rules since his mantra seems to be "the integrity of the Lab". However, seeing as Mac has bent some of the rules himself in recent episodes, I thought that might be a little hypocritical.

I hope you are enjoying the little dramatic turn the story has taken. We will be getting to know Mark a lot better in the next couple of chapters. And all of this is setting up a pivotal moment in Don and Noelle's relationship.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Hmm. Morning," Noelle greeted sleepily as she opened her eyes and found Don beside her in her bed.

He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, a position he had held most of the night. He had barely slept, finding it nearly impossible to turn off his thoughts, sleep settling over him only a couple of times for about half an hour or so each time. He looked over at his girlfriend, offering a smile, but it failed to reach his eyes.

Noelle rolled onto her side and slid a finger slowly down his bare chest. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Just a case."

"You need to learn how to leave work at the office. The kind of stuff you see, it will eat you alive if you bring it home with you, too." She leaned over and kissed his lips gently. "I'm gonna go check on Katie."

"I looked in on her a few minutes ago. She's still sleeping," Don replied. "She had a late night."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow.

"Bribed me for a story."

She laughed. "If only those criminals knew what a softie the hard-nosed detective is," she teased him. "Falling for the charms of an eighteen month old. She has you wrapped around her little finger. One day she'll use those powers for evil, you realize."

"Probably."

Noelle studied him for a moment. She could tell there was something that was really bothering him and it pained her to see the troubled look in his eyes. "Can you talk about it?"

"You know, I'm sure it's nothing. I'm gonna go jump in the shower." He kissed her quickly then slid out of bed and padded out to the bathroom.

Noelle furrowed her brow as she sat up and leaned back against the headboard. She did not like seeing Don all tense. She worried enough about him when he was out on the streets. Knowing that he was dwelling on the job in his off hours just made her more concerned.

Hearing the water turn on in the bathroom, she got out of bed and headed out into the hall. She quickly looked in on her daughter, who she found still sleeping soundly in her crib, then let herself into the bathroom. She stripped off her tank top, pajama pants and underwear, then peeled back the shower curtain. "You want some company?"

Don was momentarily startled, but he quickly pulled his girlfriend into the shower with him.

"I thought maybe I could help you relieve some of that tension," she explained suggestively.

"You're too good to be true, you know that, right?"

She smiled, reaching up and touching his face.

He backed her up against the wall of the tub, the combination of the cold of the tiles and the exhilaration she always felt with his touch causing her to shiver as he leaned down and kissed her hungrily.

They made love as the water poured down over them, then he took her back to her bedroom and made love to her all over again. He tried to memorize every touch, every sigh, every move she made, praying that at the end of the day they could do it all again and this would not be the last time. He prayed that everything was not about to change.

A couple of hours later, Don stood outside one of the hundreds of skyscrapers that lined the streets of Manhattan, glancing up at the sixteenth floor that housed Hansen Microsystems. He wanted to be anywhere but here, but he knew it was better him than someone else from the squad paying an official visit.

Taking a deep breath, Don walked inside and headed for the bank of elevators. He rode up the sixteen floors, then stepped off as the doors opened. There was a reception desk only a few feet in front of him. He straightened his tie and buttoned up his suit jacket to hide his badge and gun, then walked over.

"Can I help you, sir?" the young woman behind the desk asked, moving the mic of her headset away from her mouth.

"Yes, I'm here to see Mark Hansen," Don explained.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I'm a friend of the family. Can you just tell him that Don Flack is here to see him?"

"Uh, sure. But he has a meeting in ten minutes. He might not –"

"Just tell him it's important. Please."

She nodded slowly, then punched a couple keys on her phone, moving the mic from her headset back into position. "Mark, there's a Don Flack here to see you. He says it's important…Yes, of course." She looked back up at Don. "He's in the corner office. Just head down the hall and it's the last door on the right."

Don nodded then followed her directions. He easily found Mark's office, and knocked on the ajar, wooden door.

Mark glanced up from his desk where he was gathering papers into a folder in preparation for his meeting. "Hey, Don. This is kind of a bad time, but Ana said it was important, so what's up?"

"William Alton was murdered." There were no pleasantries, no small talk. There was no time, and years of interviewing potential suspects had taught Flack that a person's physical reaction usually provided more insight than their words.

Mark stopped what he was doing and stood slowly. "And they say there's no justice in this world."

"Mark, I'm going to ask you this once, as the man who loves your sister and doesn't want to see her hurt any more than she already has been, but also as a cop –"

"I didn't do it, Don. I'd like to give a medal to the son-of-a-bitch who did, but it wasn't me. I can promise you that," Noelle's brother replied.

Years on the job had also taught him to read people, to know – to _feel_ – when a person was lying, and he was sure Mark Hansen was not. He felt his entire body relax. "Okay. Unfortunately, I still need you to tell me where you were Tuesday night."

"I was here. I landed this big client a couple months back and we're supposed to be presenting him with a sample of the product in five minutes. There were a bunch of problems with the code, so I was here 'til like one, one-thirty trying to fix it."

"You're the president of the company. You were fixing the code yourself?"

"I'm president of my own company so I can pick and choose the software I get to develop."

"I don't suppose –"

"I was here alone, but there are time stamps all over the stuff I was doing. If you need proof, I can get you proof."

"That's okay."

"You didn't actually think I did it, did you?"

Don felt himself tense again. Knowing that he suspected her brother of being a murderer would destroy Noelle and he was not proud of himself for even considering the possibility. "I wish I could say with one-hundred percent certainty 'no, no I didn't,' but when Noelle said in passing that you didn't get home until late…" He trailed off, furrowing his brow.

"It's fine. Hell, if I were you, I probably would've been at the top of my suspect list, too. I certainly had reason to want him dead. I never forgave him for what he did to my mother, to my family. But I could never kill someone. And besides, my sister's in love with a homicide detective. There's a deterrent right there," Mark kidded.

Don tried to laugh at the comment but was too weighed down with guilt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Does Noli know about this? My parents?"

He shook his head. "And if I can help it, they won't find out. This guy has had way too much power over your family for way too long. I never intended to bring you into it, either. But –"

"You're a detective. I get it. You also seem to be as protective of my sister as I've always been. I appreciate that."

"Look, you're gonna be late for your meeting. Go. I'll see myself out. Again, I'm sorry."

Mark picked up the folder from his desk and headed for the door. He stopped beside Don and put a hand on his shoulder, then walked out past him.

For what seemed like an eternity, Don just stood there. He took a deep breath, shaking his head at the actual absurdity of suspecting his girlfriend's brother of committing a homicide.

"Oh, Mr Flack, you're still here," the receptionist from earlier said in surprise as she walked into her boss's office with a file in her hands.

"Just leaving."

She nodded with a smile, set the file on Mark's desk, and walked back out of the office.

Don turned to go, but was stopped by the sound of something falling. Glancing over, he realized the file Ana had dropped off had fallen onto the floor, spilling pages of source code onto the floor. He walked over and bent to pick it up, chuckling as he realized he had no idea what anything on any of the pages meant. He gathered the sheets of paper and slid them back into the file folder, then set it back on the edge of the desk. It was then that he noticed the post-it sticking out from underneath another stack of pages. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed the papers aside as a knot formed in his gut: _WA W41/11__th__ 10. _

He pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial, his opposite fist rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, Messer."

"What was Alton's last known address?" Don queried, trying to keep his voice from sounding strained.

"I don't remember the actual street address, but I think it was somewhere near the Port Authority," Danny replied. "Why?"

"That's, what, West 42nd."

"Yeah. What's goin' on? You know we can't touch this."

"I'm just asking questions. Is it listed?"

"Never checked. C'mon, you know I didn't just pull the file for the address. I needed to know what kind of man we were pointing Hansen towards if he did turn out to be her father. Why is it important if it's listed or not?"

"Never mind. Thanks. I'll see ya." Don disconnected the call then pulled up the web browser on his phone. He connected to 411 and input William Alton's name. He sighed in relief when there were no hits. But then he realized he was getting sloppy. He input W Alton. He got sixteen hits. One at 285 West 41st Street. "Son-of-a-bitch."


	19. Confrontation

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Fighting against every instinct he had from his years on the Force, Flack shook his head. "It's just some weird coincidence."

He had spent the past twenty minutes alternately pacing across the large, corner office, staring at the post-it note, and staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the Manhattan skyline, his mind positing theories the entire time. Unfortunately, he kept jumping to the same conclusion: his girlfriend's brother killed William Alton.

The sound of voices pulled Don from his thoughts. From his spot by the windows, he glanced up as Mark neared his office with his receptionist accompanying him. Noelle's brother was in mid-sentence when he noticed that Flack was still there and he trailed off, clearly concerned by the homicide detective's lingering presence.

"Uh, Ana, go ahead and schedule that meeting and we'll finish this up later," Mark instructed.

Seeing Don, Ana nodded, then turned and headed back to her desk.

Don cleared his throat and loosened his tie, feeling as if his throat was constricting. "Close the door, Mark," he ordered.

"What, uh – What's going on?" Mark asked as he complied and shut the door to his office.

"Something you said earlier has been bothering me and it's gotten me to wonder: just how far would you go to protect Noelle?"

Her brother ran a hand through his short, blond hair. "Look, Don, I don't know how much my sister's told you, but I've spent a few nights behind bars in my time. I have no desire to go back."

"Then tell me the truth."

Mark hesitated.

"C'mon, man. You and I can do this here, or one of my guys is going to be asking you about this in a cold, concrete interrogation room. For Noli's sake, I don't want that to happen. You really want to protect her? Then just tell me the truth. You saw Alton, didn't you?"

Mark walked over and sat down on the edge of his desk. "I was five when that bastard attacked my mom. I remember Dad waking me up and taking me to the neighbours. He didn't tell me why, but when he picked me up the next day and took me home, Mom wasn't there. She didn't come back for a couple more days, and when she did, I barely recognized her. She was covered in bruises and cuts, and then she disappeared into her room and seemed to stay there for weeks. I just remember Dad telling me I had to be quiet 'cause she needed to rest.

"After Noli was born, things got a little better, though Mom cried a lot for the first while. In retrospect, holding the child in her arms that she thought might have been fathered by the man who raped her must have messed with her mind. But as time went on, things got as normal as I guess they could." Mark furrowed his brow, fidgeting with the wedding ring on his finger. "When they arrested Alton, Dad sat me down and told me what had happened. I guess at seventeen, he figured I could handle it, you know, man up, be there and take care of Noelle. But I was already mixed up with the wrong people by that point, and watching my mom take another downward spiral was more than I cared to hang around for, so I smoked, sniffed or shot up whatever I could get my hands on, showed up at home to sleep now and then, and made sure Noli was doin' all right when it occurred to me to check.

"Me and two of my buddies got picked up near Yankee Stadium with some coke on us. I was in lock-up for close to three days before my folks were able to get me out and we'd worked out a deal with the D.A. I rolled on a couple of the guys I'd been gettin' the stuff from and walked away with probation and community service, but my timing sucked. I found out that the day I got arrested, Noli had snuck into the courtroom and heard your old man testify. It still kills me that I wasn't there for her that day."

While Don had heard most of this before from Noelle, it was different hearing about it from Mark's point of view. Standing in the posh corner office in downtown Manhattan, it was hard to imagine that the successful businessman in front of him had been the kid in trouble all those years ago. He had to respect him for that, for making something of himself. But a knot formed in his gut as he remembered why they had started talking about this in the first place, and the fear returned that everything Mark had achieved might all be lost. "And Alton?" Flack pressed.

"A couple years after he was convicted, I came home for Thanksgiving and Noli pulled me into her room. She asked me if William Alton was her father. I'd put everything together the first that Dad told me about Mom's rape and I told her the truth – I didn't know. I said if she wanted to talk to Mom and Dad about it, I'd do it with her, but I don't think she really wanted to know. But from that moment on, she was different." Mark furrowed his brow and ran a hand over his forehead. He stood up and walked around his desk, opening the top drawer. He shuffled some papers and office supplies, then his hand emerged holding a gun.

Don's hand instinctively went to his service weapon until Mark dropped the gun on the desk. "Jesus, Mark. What the hell?"

He looked up at Don. "The brother of a friend of mine from high school ended up workin' for the D.A.'s office and I asked him early on if he could keep me up on what happened to Alton. When he came up for parole seven or eight years ago, it was granted and they let him walk. Two days after he got out, I was on his doorstep with that in my hand."

"Where'd you get the gun?"

"My record was expunged when I turned eighteen. It wasn't hard. I promise you, it's legal."

"What happened when you saw Alton?"

"I didn't. A kid answered the door. Two, three years old, maybe. I took one look at him, realized if he was Alton's son he could very well be Noli's brother. So I bolted."

Don absorbed everything, pieces falling into place for him. "Then three months ago, you found out there was no chance that Alton was related to Noelle and you looked him up again."

"Yep. And this time I didn't chicken out." Mark walked over and looked out the window. "My sister knows every kind of pain there is. I watched her wrestle for fifteen years with the question of who her father really was. And I watched her deal with chronic physical pain in the middle of it all for years before she finally decided she couldn't take it anymore. But somehow, she got through it. And when she got those DNA results, she finally got some closure. But I still needed mine."

"What happened, Mark?"

He turned and looked at his sister's boyfriend. "I took my gun and I showed up on his front door step. My intention was never to kill him, Don. I just wanted to scare him. I wanted him to feel the same fear that my mother felt, the same uncertainty my sister felt for all those years. So when he answered the door, I pushed in past him and I pulled the gun. Then I made him stand there and listen as I rattled off all the ways that one evil act he committed all those years ago had hurt my family over the years. When I was finished, he made no apologies, just stood there with this sick smirk on his face. And yeah, for a split second, I thought about wiping it off by putting a bullet in him, but I didn't. I have a wife and a daughter who I love more than anything, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, my sister is happy. And I wasn't about to throw any of that away over the son-of-a-bitch who had already robbed my family of so much. So I left. And I decided not to give William Alton another moment of my time."

"When was this?"

"Two weeks ago. The day after Noli told me about the DNA test, I looked him up. There were sixteen or something matches so it took me a while to figure out which, if any, was the right guy, then another few weeks to work up the nerve." Mark took a deep breath. "Look, Don, I got a second chance nearly twenty years ago. I was stupid back then and it's only by some miracle that I never OD'd or hurt anyone trying to get my hands on the drugs I did. When I cleaned myself up, I vowed that I would never do anything that self-destructive again. And somehow, I ended up with an amazing wife and the coolest kid and they depend on me. If I had killed William Alton, I would have lost everything I worked so hard to get and he would have won. I didn't kill him, Don. And I will gladly walk into your precinct and sign whatever you need me to sign and talk to whoever you need me to talk to. But I swear to you, I did not kill him."

Don took a moment to let everything Mark had told him sink in. He studied the man before him, and knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was telling the truth. The relief he felt was great, for numerous reasons.

"I'm not proud of what I did, but –"

"I get it. And I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, man," Flack said honestly. His investigative nature kicked into high gear, though. "You said there was a kid there when you went to see him back when he was first released. Any sign of him or his mother this time around?"

Mark considered. "Uh, I don't – I wasn't there long, and I was just in the foyer. If there was anyone else home, they didn't let me know they were there."

"Just think for a minute. Any pictures? Anything suggesting anyone else lived there? Think."

Mark furrowed his brow as he tried to recall. "Look, man, I was focused on Alton. I mean, I'd been waiting for that moment for like eighteen years, you know? I just – He did have a ring on his finger. A wedding band."

"Good, that's good. Listen, I can't promise that I can keep this out of the official investigation. But I will do everything I can to make sure it doesn't get back to Noelle, Jen and your folks."

Mark nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

For a long moment, the two men just stood there, both assimilating the conversation. Finally, Don glanced at the desk. "Get rid of the gun, man. You don't need it." With that, he turned and headed for the door.

"Don?"

"Yeah."

Mark looked at his sister's boyfriend for a moment before he spoke again. "My sister loves you. Whatever you do, please don't let my mistakes touch what she's found with you."

"Hey, man, nothing you've said today changes how I feel about your sister or Katie, or you for that matter. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you, but I know that if anyone hurt my family the way William Alton hurt yours…Look, when Noelle first told me about everything, I can't say I didn't have the same compulsion to hunt Alton down. Now, pulling a gun probably wasn't the smartest thing you've ever done..."

"No kidding."

Don smiled slightly at that.

"Not that my opinion matters, but if you were to, say, ask my sister to marry you at some point, I'd be very proud to call you my brother-in-law. I know that, no matter what, she and Katie will be safe and happy with you."

"Thanks. That means a lot. Listen, I gotta get to the station. I'll be in touch if we need anything."

Mark nodded solemnly.

Don went to open the door, but stopped and looked back at Noelle's brother. "You think she'd say 'yes'?"

For the first since their conversation had begun, Mark cracked a smile. "On behalf of every other man who's ever taken that leap, you'll just have to find out for yourself."

The homicide detective chuckled softly. "Yeah, how'd I know you were going to say that? I'll see ya."


	20. Hard Questions

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"You couldn't have told me this an hour and a half ago before I had it out with Noelle's brother?"

Danny abandoned his viewing of the interrogation taking place on the other side of the glass and turned as his best friend walked into the outer room. "Hey, I didn't know when you called me."

"So, what happened?"

"Stel and Hawkes went back to the apartment to look around and found the wife packin' up some stuff I guess she'd left behind. Turns out she overheard the conversation between Alton and Hansen's brother, found out her husband wasn't quite the tortured soul he'd led her to believe. She tried to leave him, but he dragged her back, so she found his gun, bided her time. Met him in the alley outside their place two nights ago and shot him. He had a record so the gun was bought illegally, which is why there were no hits in IBIS."

"What about the kid Mark saw all those years ago?"

Danny shrugged. "She hasn't said anything 'bout a kid – she just married Alton a year or so ago. Anyway, Hansen's family is off the hook."

"Thank God."

"You really accuse her brother of murder?"

"Yep. You'd think that would put a crimp in the relationship, wouldn't ya?"

"I take it it didn't?"

"Nope. Gave me his blessing as I walked out the door."

"Hmm. Maybe if you try pinnin' the JFK assassination on her old man, he'll give you her hand."

Don chuckled.

The door to the interrogation room opened and Stella stepped out, soon followed by a uniform leading a woman away in cuffs. Stella noticed Don and Danny standing there to the side and walked over. "I will never understand some people," she sighed.

"But you got enough to hold her?" Don asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah. Full confession. Alton was a real piece of work, but this was no act of self-defense. She'll be going away for a long time."

Don felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Listen, Stel, I'm sorry about last night. I kind of lost my temper and –"

"No apologies necessary," she replied, her expression softening. "You love Noelle and you were just protecting her."

"Still, I shouldn't have lost it with you and Sheldon."

"It's okay. And hopefully now that Alton's dead, the Hansens can finally move on from all of this."

He nodded.

"I've got to go finish the paperwork on this. I'll see you guys later." She touched his arm lightly, offering a friendly gesture of assurance, then headed off.

"I gotta get out of here, too," Danny said. "I was supposed to be home like three hours ago and Linds is already out workin' a robbery. The sitter's gonna kill me."

"Okay. Thanks for, uh – You know, you really had my back on this. I appreciate it."

Messer shrugged. "No thanks necessary. You're family. But you know, now that this is over, you're actually gonna have to figure out what you're going to do about that ring in your pocket. Take it easy."

Don watched Danny head off, then he pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled through his list of contacts and after a moment's hesitation, he dialed Mark's number.

"Hansen Microsystems, Mark speaking."

"Mark, Don Flack."

"Should I be calling my attorney?"

"No, man, it's over. We made an arrest and it looks like it's gonna hold."

"Is it impolite to be grateful I'm not about to be hauled in and questioned in a homicide?"

"No."

He heard Mark sigh on the other end of the line. "Thanks, Don, for lettin' me know. You didn't have to do that, and I appreciate it."

"Anytime. Listen, I gotta get to work, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Later, man."

Don flipped his cell closed with a deep breath. It was really over. Noelle had been able to put everything behind her, and now there was no way that William Alton could come back to haunt her or her family. He felt lighter somehow – and then Danny's words started resonating in his mind. He reached into his pocket and his fingers closed around the ring he was still carrying with him everywhere. He could not help the grin that crossed his face and the shiver of nervous anticipation that coursed through his entire being.

"My homicide detectives don't smile," Captain Hill commanded the young detective as he passed him in the corridor.

"Of course not, Captain," Don replied, smirking as he turned the other way and headed towards the pit.

Hours later, after what seemed like the easiest shift he had worked in weeks, he stood on the front step and knocked on the wooden door in front of him. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Facing down homicidal psychopaths in interrogation did not intimidate him as much as what he was about to do.

The door opened and Jack Hansen greeted the tall detective with a warm, welcoming smile. He and Sarah had quickly figured out the purpose of the visit after Don had called earlier in the afternoon. Sarah had made coffee and set out a plate of her famous pumpkin loaf, then made herself scarce, keeping a prior engagement as she knew it would be easier for her daughter's boyfriend if he only had one parent to face. "Don, come on in, son."

"Thanks, sir." Don walked into the house and removed his shoes, handing his suit jacket to Jack who hung it up in the front hall closet before ushering him into the living room. "Uh, Mrs. Hansen's not here?"

"No, she had a meeting of the women's association at the church tonight. Have a seat. You said earlier you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Don sat down on the living room couch, nervously rubbing his hands together. "Yes, sir. I, uh – It's – Well, it's about Noelle."

Jack fought back a smile as he took a seat in his favourite armchair. Part of him wanted to say something to put the young man at ease; another part of him remembered having this exact conversation with Sarah's father forty years ago and thought it was only fair that Don have the full experience. "You and my daughter seem to have gotten quite close the past few months."

"We have, Mr. Hansen. I love both your daughter and Katie very much."

Noelle's father nodded. "Please, it's Jack."

"Right. Jack. Uh, you see – " Don cleared his throat. He was usually much more articulate. He could stare down criminals and coerce confessions from even the most stubborn of them. He had started his day looking down the barrel of an AK-47 the morning of the Wilder bust and had ended up taking down the entire crew by the time the sun set. So why was it so difficult to get the words out now? He realized that it was because nothing had ever mattered so much in his life before. "Not only do I love your daughter and your granddaughter, but I want to spend the rest of my life with them. I want to marry Noelle, and raise Katie with her, and I'm here because I know it would mean the world to Noli if we had your blessing."

Jack stood and walked over to the mantle where a bunch of family pictures sat, much like in the living room of the Flack home. He picked up a picture of the family from Mark and Jennifer's wedding six years earlier. The same pride he had felt that day filled his heart now and he looked at Don with a smile. "Noelle has seen her share of pain over the past few years. The day she landed at La Guardia with Ekaterina in her arms, it was the first time I had seen her truly happy in years. And then she met you, and the day she told us about you, it was with the same look of joy on her face. All her mother and I have ever wanted for her is to find that with someone. We would be very proud to welcome you into our family, Don."

"Uh, thank you, sir. That, uh – Well, it means a lot." Don stood and walked over to his future father-in-law, extending his hand.

Jack shook his hand, offering a warm smile. "You just treat our daughter and granddaughter well, son."

Don nodded. "I will. That's a promise."

Flack stayed for a while and chatted with Jack over coffee, the conversation turning to lighter topics as they discussed the new hockey and basketball seasons.

When Don left the home of Noelle's parents, he still felt keyed up. His nerves had not dissipated because now that he had Jack's blessing, he felt he had to act soon or Noelle was going to figure out what was going on. But he still had not quite figured out how to propose. She was worthy of some big, romantic gesture; but he also knew that she still did not quite trust everything good that had happened to her. She seemed to constantly be waiting for the other shoe to drop, and after how the day had started, Don understood her wariness. So as he let himself into her apartment just after nine, his mind was racing.

"C'mon, Katie, please. You need to go to sleep, baby, okay?"

As Don locked the door, he heard Katie wail in protest. He found himself chuckling quietly – there had to be a nurture argument in there somewhere as Katie seemed to be as stubborn as her mother was. He hung up his jacket then wandered down the hall into the nursery where Noelle was rocking her daughter in the corner, the little girl squirming and crying and refusing to settle down.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked from the doorway.

"She's been fussy since I picked her up from Jennie's. She's got another cold," Noelle explained wearily. "Where have you been? Long tour?"

"It's been kind of a weird day," he replied evasively.

Katie let out another wail.

"Here, let me try." He walked over and took the toddler from her mother. "Hey, cutie. What's wrong, Katie? You not feeling well?"

Katie buried her face in the crook of his neck, squirming a little in his arms before finally giving up, her sobs quieting until she was sniffling softly against him.

Noelle stood up with a sigh. "I give up. I've been fighting with her for an hour and you walk in here and she calms right down. What the hell ever possessed me to think I could do this?"

"Hey, hey, don't," he soothed his girlfriend. "It's like a pickle jar."

Noelle looked at him like he had three heads, tired and emotional and not in the mood for riddles. "What?"

"You know, you work at opening the jar until you feel like your hand's going to fall off, then you hand it off to someone and they open it with one flick of the wrist. It's not that they're stronger, it's that you loosened the lid for them. I just have good timing," he explained, offering a dimpled grin. "Don't start doubting yourself, okay? You're a kick-ass mom. But you just gotta remember that you don't have to do this by yourself anymore."

She shook her head slightly at his logic, but felt better. She ruffled her daughter's hair, then leaned up and kissed Don's cheek. "Why don't you grab a book and we'll try reading to her. Maybe she's ready to settle down now."

Don sorted through her numerous picture books and picked one, then he and Noelle sat down on the living room couch with Katie on his lap and they took turns reading to her. The little girl calmed right down and snuggled into Don's lap, quickly getting absorbed in the fairy tale they spun for her.

"'Gain," pleaded Katie after they finished reading her the story.

Noelle laughed softly. "No, sweetheart. It's time for you to go to bed. Donnie can read to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Actually, before we put her down, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Don said, setting the storybook aside and grabbing his girlfriend's wrist as she went to get up. There was something about the moment that just seemed perfect. After all, was this not a snapshot of the life he wanted to offer to her?

Noelle sat back down, looking at him expectantly. She furrowed her brow when he hesitated, a little worried. "Is – Uh, is something wrong?" she asked.

"What? No! No, nothing's wrong. In fact…Everything's perfect. Well, except for one thing."

She raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Holding onto Katie with one arm, he reached into the pocket of his dress slacks with the other and pulled out the ring he had carried with him everywhere since his father had given it to him.

The baby was instantly enamoured with the shiny ring and reached for it.

Don and Noelle both laughed, though Noelle's eyes quickly filled with tears and her heartbeat quickened as she realized what was happening.

Don kissed the little girl's temple, before looking at her mother. "As much as I know she would like this, it belongs to you. That is, if you'll agree to become my wife." He set Katie down beside her mother on the couch, then slid off the couch and dropped down on one knee in front of his girlfriend. "I love you. Both of you. More than anything. And I want us to be a family. So, Noelle, I'm askin' you: will you do me the honour of marrying me and becoming my wife?"

She was stunned. But as she looked into his eyes and saw everything he was offering her staring right back at her, she knew there was only one answer. "Yes! Oh, my God, yes!" she exclaimed, hugging him fiercely.

Don pulled back a bit and captured her lips, kissing her deeply for a moment. Then he released her and looked at Katie. He leaned over and kissed the child's forehead. "You hear that, Katie? Your mommy just made me the happiest guy in the world and agreed to marry me! That means we're gonna live together and be a family."

A few tears escaped down Noelle's cheeks.

Don looked back at her and took her hand, sliding the antique ring onto her finger. He kissed the back of her hand then looked at her with more love than he thought he was capable of feeling. "This, uh – This was my grandmother's ring. Pop gave it to me because he knew that you were it for me. And he was right. I love you, Noli."

"I love you, too." She kissed him hungrily, happier than she had ever been. She finally had everything in front of her that she had ever wanted. Thanks to Don, her dreams were all coming true.

Together, they got Katie ready for bed and this time the little girl settled right down. Then they adjourned to Noelle's bedroom and made love, joining their union together in the one way they could for now.

"Ask me again."

Don laughed softly, moving up closer behind her in her bed, kissing her naked shoulder softly, then her neck. "You're not gonna change your answer, are you?" he asked.

She shivered excitedly, holding her hand out in front of her and admiring the diamond adorning her finger. "No. I'll still say yes. I just want to hear the words again."

"Will you marry me?" The words fell off his tongue easily. "Will you do me the honour of becoming Mrs. Flack?"

She smiled. "Yes."

His heart felt like it was going to burst. After carrying around the ring for weeks, he had no regrets about asking her the way he had. Self-confident, almost arrogant at times, he was literally brought to his knees by this woman. And he had never been happier. Making love to her tonight, he knew that not only did he want to marry her, but he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

Noelle rolled onto her back and looked up at him, still overwhelmed. "I love you so much, Donnie." She leaned up and kissed him, her arm sliding around his neck and pulling him down to her. "And I will be proud to have your name."

He smiled down at her. "It's yours." He kissed her deeply, and they found themselves once again getting lost in one another.

Noelle was sleeping hours later and he was still wide awake. She was on her stomach, her leg wound around his, her left arm splayed across his chest. He looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled at how _right_ it looked there. At the same time, he wondered how this had happened to him? How had he managed to get so wrapped up in a woman? He was supposed to be a bachelor. Work hard, play when he had the chance. Instead, he wanted nothing less than forever with her. Hell, he realized that Danny was right – even forever did not seem long enough to him.


	21. She Said Yes

**A/N **Hey, all! A couple people asked if the last chapter was the finale to the story – not even close! There's much more story to be told when it comes to Don and Noelle so never fear! I hope you all enjoyed Don's proposal. The last chapter was my favourite to write thus far.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"What's with you, man? You're so freakin' jumpy. Would you just ask the girl to marry you already?" Danny teased his best friend as they shot a game of pool in the back of Sullivan's.

"Zip it, Messer," Don warned as he noticed Sheldon and Stella making their way back to them.

Danny just smirked, knocking a stripe into a side pocket, then standing up and picking up his bottle of beer.

"Hey, guys. Mac and Lindsay should be here in a few minutes," Stella explained.

"My wife still pissed off?" Messer asked a little warily.

Sheldon chuckled. "She ain't happy, that's for sure."

Don grinned at Danny, feeling as if he had retrieved the upper hand. "What'd you do, buddy?"

Stella and Sheldon both had a difficult time containing their laughter.

"Would you two clowns just knock it off!" Danny grumbled, knocking back a swig of his beer.

"Since Dan's relegated to the Lab, Linds was the one who got stuck dumpster diving," Hawkes explained. "He might have taken a little more pleasure in it than his wife would have liked. You know the saying 'if looks could kill'? Yeah, pretty sure someone coined it after looking at Lindsay."

Don shook his head. "You might want to stop tryin' to give me relationship advice there, man, until you can get yourself off the couch you're gonna be sleepin' on for the next little while." He felt his phone vibrate on his hip. He set down his pint on the edge of the pool table and pulled his cell off his belt, grinning when he saw the call display.

"You're hopeless," Danny sighed.

Don wagged his eyebrows. "Maybe, but only one of us is getting' lucky tonight and I'm pretty damn sure it ain't gonna be you. Excuse me." With that, he headed out of the crowded bar to take the call from his fiancée. "Hey, doll, just a sec…"

"Don?"

He pushed his way through the large after-work crowd and finally ended up out on the sidewalk in front of the place. "Yeah, I'm here."

"You're obviously already at Sullivan's," Noelle commented.

"Yeah, Dan and I were just playing some pool. Sheldon and Stel just arrived, and Mac and Linds are on their way. It's rare to have everyone together when we're not tryin' to take down some psycho, so I'd say we cash in on it."

"All right. Well, I just got Katie settled in at Mom and Dad's for the night, so I should be there in about half and hour."

"Sounds good. I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too. Bye."

Don flipped his phone shut and headed back inside, his entire being brimming with excitement. They had called both sets of parents and all of their siblings first thing in the morning, unable to wait to tell them the happy news. Of course, Noelle's parents already knew it was imminent and were happy that they had not had to wait long to congratulate their daughter. Maggie and Jump were thrilled beyond words, both having fallen in love with both Noelle and Katie upon their first meeting and with every visit they had shared since. Noelle's sister-in-law and Don's two sisters were already offering wedding suggestions; and Don had taken a fair share of ribbing from Will, who had teased his older brother mercilessly about the fact that Noelle had not yet come to her senses and dumped his sorry ass.

However, as excited as he had been to announce the news to their families, Don was even more eager to tell his colleagues. To him, the people he worked with day in and day out, those who had been there to share some of the true adrenaline-pumping moments of his life, were also his family. Danny was his best friend, and Lindsay had become like a sister to him over the past few years. Stella, Sheldon and he had worked together on more cases than he could count, and he trusted them implicitly to have his back as he would have theirs without a second thought. And Mac was like a second father to him. He respected the man more than he could put into words. While they had had their share of disagreements over the years, both truly revered the other.

Forty-five minutes later, the group was seated around a table in the back, laughing at a story Sheldon and Danny were telling in tandem about a past case, when Noelle arrived. She eased herself down into the chair to Don's right as the two CSI's continued to regale everyone with their tale. Don took her hand under the table and leaned over to kiss her temple in greeting.

As a break arose in conversation, Danny looked at Noelle. "Glad you could make it, Hansen," he welcomed her.

"Thanks for including me. I know it's a treat to find you guys all together off hours," she replied.

"And since we've got you all here…" Don started. He glanced over at his fiancée and caught her eye. "We, uh – We've got some news."

With a thousand kilowatt smile on her face, Noelle brought her left hand up from under the table to show off her ring. "Don asked me to marry him last night!" she announced excitedly.

"And this woman made me the happiest man alive by agreeing to become my wife."

Lindsay and Stella practically squealed in delight, both quickly making a grab for the bride-to-be's hand to see the ring. Sheldon and Mac both offered words of congratulations, and Danny could not help but chuckle softly that Don had actually done it – and, more, that he had kept it to himself all day.

"Congratulations, man," Danny finally offered.

Everyone stood as hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

Danny hugged his best friend last then kissed Noelle's cheek. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart."

She laughed softly at the reference. "Thanks, Danny."

"This is so exciting!" Lindsay agreed, hugging Noelle. "I'm so happy for both of you."

"So, have you set a date yet?" Stella asked anxiously as they all re-took their seats.

Noelle and Don glanced at each other with a smile. His arm snaked around the back of her chair as he looked at his friends. "Nothing definite, but we're thinking spring."

"How are you ever going to book anything in the city with just six months?" Lindsay commented.

"We haven't even gotten that far yet, but we'll figure something out. We just don't want to wait too long," Noelle explained. "

"Don Flack, married. Who woulda thought!" Danny razzed his best friend. "Seriously, this is great."

"Yes, it's wonderful news," Mac concurred. "And it calls for a toast." He waved over one of the bar's waitresses.

"What's up, Mac?" the waitress asked, knowing all members of the group as regulars.

"Sara, do you have any champagne back there?"

The waitress nodded.

"We'll take a couple of bottles. We're celebrating tonight."

"Sure thing."

As the waitress walked off, he looked at the happy couple with a smile. "We see enough of the worst this world has to offer when we're on the clock. It's important to celebrate the good stuff when we can."

"Thanks, Mac," Don replied, honestly touched. It was an odd dynamic that the two officers shared, as Mac technically was not Don's boss, yet was still something of a superior. But their mutual respect was something that he treasured dearly.

Mac nodded, his expression sincere.

The champagne flowed, and stories were swapped. The group had endured a lot over the past few years, and it was always nice to have something so happy to celebrate. A few games of eight-ball, a call that pulled Mac and Hawkes away, and some more conversation led to Noelle and Don arriving back at his place well after last call.

"Tonight was fun," Noelle said as she hung up her jacket in his hall closet. She unzipped her boots and stepped out of them, then walked into his living room and slumped down on the couch.

Don soon joined her. Without any words, he drew her close and kissed her deeply.

"Do you have any idea how loved you make me feel?"

"I hope you'll always feel that way with me."

She smiled a little shyly.

"You still waiting for that other shoe to drop, aren't you?"

"I'm trying not to."

"Trust this, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you. You and Katie, you're my life now. You're the most important things in the world to me."

"And I believe you, so I don't know why this is so hard for me."

He kissed her temple. "Tell me what I can do."

"No, Don, this is mine. You shouldn't have to reassure me." She glanced up at him. "I think it's just because it's been a bit of a whirlwind. Sometimes it just all feels a little surreal. When you've been waiting your whole life for something, but had yourself convinced that it was just never going to happen, it's a little hard to believe when it actually does."

He stroked her back gently, quiet in contemplation for a moment. "We're on opposite sides on that one, I guess. I mean, I didn't even know I wanted this."

She smirked then. "So, I guess it's _me_ who should worry about _you_ running away screaming when you finally realize what you've gotten yourself into."

"Ah, not a chance, sweetheart. You're stuck with me."

"I can definitely think of worse things," she teased him. "C'mon, it's late and I'm tired. Take me to bed, Detective."

One corner of his mouth turned up in a lop-sided grin as his earlier words to Danny rang in his ears. Oh yeah, he was definitely getting lucky tonight. He almost felt sorry for his best friend for having landed himself in the doghouse with his dumpster diving cracks. _Almost_.


	22. Words

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Don walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, then stood in the doorway to the dining room and just took in the sight before him. Katie was in her high chair, a spoon in one hand, but it was her other hand that was actually in her bowl of Cheerios. He stifled a laugh, knowing he should not encourage her. Instead, he took a sip of his coffee before moving his gaze to his fiancée. She was sitting with her back to him, working on the Tuesday Times crossword puzzle, her pen twirling around in her hand.

He walked over and glanced over her shoulder at the puzzle. "Ten across: opus."

"Nice to know all that money my parents spent on music lessons paid off," Noelle replied sardonically, filling in the blanks.

Don chuckled softly, leaning down and kissing the top of her head before he walked around and sat down in the chair across from her. He took another sip of his coffee, then looked at Katie, who now had a fist full of cereal shoved into her mouth. "You about done playing with your breakfast there, cutie?"

The eighteen-month-old pulled her hand out, milk dripping down her chin and her arm. She giggled before chewing her mouthful.

Flack shook his head.

Noelle glanced up from her puzzle, sighing when she realized what her daughter had done. "Ekaterina…"

"Don't worry, I got this. Go finish getting ready for work."

"Thanks. Are you sure, though, that you don't want me to take her to Jen's? You've had a long run."

"No, it's fine. I've been looking forward to today. Besides, we've got big plans. Right, cutie?"

"Wocco!" the little girl replied excitedly.

"See? We're gonna go visit Rocco and maybe I'll take her by the Lab," Don explained. He nodded at his fiancée. "Go get ready."

Twenty minutes later, Don kissed Noelle goodbye as she headed out the door, then he returned to getting Katie all cleaned up and dressed. Excited about what had turned into bi-weekly visits with Rocco, the toddler did not make things easy for the usually adept detective, especially when he tried to get her sneakers and jacket on.

"You need to sit still for a second, okay, sweetie? You can't see Rocco if you don't have any shoes on, can ya?"

"Wocco! See Wocco!" She clapped her hands together, squirming and swinging her legs over the edge of the chair.

"Yes, we're gonna go see Rocco, but first we gotta get your shoes and your jacket on, okay? Your ma will be less than thrilled if you catch another cold."

With an overly-dramatic sigh, Katie stilled.

This time, Flack could not suppress a laugh. He had no idea where she picked these things up. He had found that he had to be very careful anymore what he said around her as she had become a sponge. Noelle had already scolded him once for some of the language he had brought into the apartment one day after a difficult tour.

With another incredulous shake of the head at her dramatics, he quickly tied up the laces on her sneakers then got her arms through the sleeves of her pink windbreaker.

Once they were both ready, Don strapped Katie into the newly-installed car seat in his SUV, then he headed off across town to the ESU's Truck 2. Somehow, the little girl and the police dog had forged a special relationship over the past few weeks, and recognizing it, Rick had graciously invited Don to bring Katie by to visit whenever the opportunity arose. Katie no longer cried at the end of the visits, realizing that she would get to come back and see the dog again, and Rocco always greeted her with a nudge and an excited lick to her face.

Don himself had started to treasure days he had off through the week. Unless there was something pressing he had to do or sleep was required because he had just come off a night shift, he would spend the day with Katie instead of having Noelle take her to her sister-in-law's. He was usually exhausted by the end of the day, but he would not have it any other way.

After their visit with Rocco and Rick, he decided to swing by 1 Police Plaza and show Katie around the Crime Lab. He avoided the pit, not wanting her to see anything questionable with the possibility of perps being brought in or being transported from interrogation to holding, and quickly took her through to the elevators and up to the thirty-fifth floor.

By the time the elevator doors opened, Don had the little girl up on his shoulders. He strode through the corridors coming first to Danny and Lindsay's office. He found both inside at their desks wading through paperwork. He went to knock on the door, but Katie announced their arrival with an exuberant "Hiya!"

The detectives Messer both glanced up at their visitors and neither could help but smile at the sight of the two.

"We're on a field trip," Don explained. He glanced at the top of both of their desks. "You don't have any photos lying around, do you?"

"Nah, it's safe. C'mon in," Danny invited.

Don eased Katie down off his shoulders and set her on the floor.

Messer stood up and walked around his desk, crouching down in front of the little girl. "How ya doin', Katie?"

"Wocco," she said with a grin.

"Ah, you went to visit your buddy, huh? Did you have fun?"

She nodded happily.

"Looks like she's still in one piece, Flack. Good job," Lindsay teased her friend as she stood up.

"Funny, Monroe," he deadpanned.

She smirked, then walked over to Katie. "Would you like a tour, sweetie? See what kind of trouble we can find?"

"You sure, Linds?"

"Yeah, no problem. We won't be long. C'mon, Katie."

Katie eagerly took Lindsay's hand and ambled off beside her, her eyes wide as she took in all the glass walls and fancy equipment behind them.

Left back in the office, Danny sat down on the edge of his desk. "So, you're on dad duty today, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You really ready to do this full-time?"

"We really gonna have this conversation now? Shouldn't you have asked me this that night at Sullivan's when I showed you the ring?"

Danny shrugged with his trademark lop-sided grin.

"C'mon, you really think if I would've asked Noli to marry me if I didn't want in on all of this?"

"Just checkin'. You're goin' from bachelor status to instant father here. It's gonna change your life."

"It already has, Danno. The only thing that's gonna change once Noelle and I make this official is that all our stuff will be in one place, and believe me, that can't happen fast enough for me."

"So you guys set a date?"

He shook his head. "I never realized that planning a wedding was so damn complicated. You've met my family, Messer. The Irish-Catholic clan? Then you got all the guys in the department that worked with Pop and watched me grow up and feel entitled to an invite to the party. Then there's the guys I work with now. There's over a hundred and fifty right there with spouses and guests. Throw in Noli's family, co-workers, friends from Sarah Lawrence…Oh yeah, then it comes back to the question of whether the whole thing is officiated by Father Timothy at St Francis Xavier or the pastor at Metro Baptist. I mean, I just want to marry the girl, man."

Danny raised his eyebrows at his best friend's frustration. "You need me and Lindsay to watch the kid while you run off to Vegas?"

"I'm seriously startin' to wonder if that's not the way to go, 'cause at this rate, I don't see how this can happen anytime in the near future. You know, I just to make sure Noli and Katie are taken care of should something happen to me out there."

"Noelle know how you feel 'bout all this?"

"She hasn't said it in so many words, but I really think she still has the dream of the white dress and the flowers and her dad walkin' her down the aisle…She's had to let go of a lot of other dreams, and part of me really wants to give her this. But at the same time, Noli wants Katie to have a sibling and if we're going to adopt as a couple, we need to get married."

"You wouldn't have a kid together?" Danny asked curiously.

Don hesitated. "No. Noelle, uh – She can't."

"Oh, I'm sorry, man. I always just thought she adopted Katie 'cause she was single."

"Yes. And no. She had a hysterectomy a couple years ago."

"Wow. She okay?"

"Oh, yeah. She's fine."

"And you?"

"What, you mean because we won't have any biological kids?"

Danny nodded.

"I'll be honest with ya, man. I didn't even know I wanted kids before Noelle. And you and I both have both seen enough freaky stuff out there to know that biology doesn't always mean anything. As far as I'm concerned, Katie doesn't need to share my DNA to be my kid."

Messer considered for a moment, then smirked. "You really the same guy who hot-wired that cruiser back in the day?"

Don quirked an eyebrow. "You want me to remind you of some of the crap _you've _pulled?"

"Point taken. Man, I guess we're officially responsible adults, huh?"

The topic of conversation lightened to the Giants' stellar performance the night before and they were debating the chances of a Super Bowl ring this season when Lindsay and Katie returned, the little girl still wide-eyed. She ran over to Don and latched onto his leg. "Da-da!" she greeted. "Up!"

Don lost his train of thought. As he obliged and lifted the little girl up into his arms, he tried to absorb the title just bestowed upon him. "You guys heard that, right?"

Danny smirked at seeing his best friend so overwhelmed. He knew it took a lot for Flack to get rattled. The fact that it had been the words of an eighteen month old that had accomplished it was priceless. "I'm takin' it that despite our earlier conversation, this is new?"

"Yeah."

Oblivious to the excitement surrounding her new word, Katie laid her head on Don's shoulder, the events of the day starting to take their toll.

"But you guys heard it, right? I mean, she called me Daddy."

Danny clapped his best friend on back. "Looks like the ankle biter shares your views on DNA there, man."

Hours later, Noelle returned home from work to find Don sprawled out on the couch watching SportsCentre, her daughter curled up and sound asleep in his arms. She just about melted at the picture. "You actually wore her out, huh?" she teased him.

"We had a big day."

Noelle walked over and knelt down by the end of the couch. She greeted her fiancé with a kiss, then ran a hand through her little girl's hair. "So what did you do today?"

"We went and saw Rick and Rocco, then we swung by the Lab and Linds gave Katie a tour. Then we went to the park this afternoon…Oh, and we added a new word to the ever-expanding vocabulary of our future Mensa-member."

"If it has anything to do with dogs, that's still your department."

"No, nothing to do with dogs. Katie said 'Da-da.' And trust me, she knew what she was saying."

Seeing how excited Don was, Noelle could not help but share in it. She smiled broadly. "She probably picked it up from Erin. I can see that you're okay with this."

"You kiddin' me? I've been called a lot of things in my life by a lot of people – nothing's ever sounded so good."

Noelle laughed softly. She glanced at her sleeping daughter before bringing her gaze back to her fiancé. "You know, when Katie came into my life, I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to give her a father. But I know now that I never could have found any man better for the job. I'm thrilled that she sees you as her daddy."

"You know, Dan and I were talking earlier, and listen, I don't care where we get married or who's there. I just – I want you to be my wife. And I want this kid to be mine in every way she can be. Noli, I'd like to adopt Katie."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**


	23. Formalities

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Noelle leaned against the doorway to Katie's room, watching as Don rocked her in the chair in the corner while he read to her. She crossed her arms over her chest, holding back tears at the sight. She had heard Katie called him Daddy first-hand over dinner when the little girl had wanted his attention and it had affected her more than the first time her daughter had said Mama. That, after Don had announced that he wanted to adopt her, to legally make her his daughter. Of course, she had said 'yes.' There had not even been a moment's hesitation. And now, watching the two people she loved most in the world, she knew she had done something seriously right somewhere along the way to have all of this now.

"You okay, doll?"

Don's voice brought her out of her reverie. Noelle smiled, nodding at the question. "Fine. She asleep?"

He nodded, easing himself out of the chair with the sleeping child in his arms. He pressed a light kiss to her forehead before he gently laid her down in the crib. He covered her with her favourite blanket, then quietly exited the room, his fiancée right behind him after closing the door. "Dan said he'd give his cousin a call, you know, give him a head's up that we'll be scheduling an appointment," he explained as they sat down together on the couch in the living room.

"I don't imagine it should be difficult, right? I mean, I'm her legal parent and I'm consenting, so it's really just a formality."

Don nodded. "I would assume so. Though Lorenzo might tell us to wait until we're married."

"Then let's get married."

He raised his eyebrows. "You make it sound easy there, sweetheart."

She shrugged. "Let's make it easy. Don, let's just – I don't know. Let's just go down to city hall and get married."

"Oh, sure, let's just go down to city hall. Then your ma and mine can pool their resources and have us both killed in our sleep. Sure. Great plan there, Hansen," he jeered.

She laughed at his sarcasm. "Honey, come on. Your parents have had three weddings already. Mark and Jen did it big – hell, my uncle raved about their wedding for months, _years_ after. I can't top it. So, why do we need to have a big, expensive _event_ for all of _them_? It's one day! I don't care about the wedding. I care about being your wife. I want us to live together in the same place. I want – I want to go into HR and ask for a name change form so that I can start signing my emails Noelle Flack. I want to introduce you to people as my husband. Don't you want that, too?"

"You kiddin' me? Of course I want that. It's why I asked you to marry me in the first place. I just – Noli, I know you. You can't tell me that you haven't dreamed about getting married in your church, your dad walking you down the aisle, the dress, the flowers, the reception…"

"They're just dreams. It's not real life."

He furrowed his brow. "You've had to give up a lot of your dreams and compromise because of circumstances beyond your control. And you're a hell of a lot more cynical than a person like you should be. I don't want you to think that your dreams don't matter."

"Don, I still have a beautiful daughter and a man I love more than anything. Real life has turned out pretty good."

"And this guy that you love? He loves you like crazy. I really want you to have the wedding _you_ want. So, for one second, forget about time, forget about money, forget about my folks and yours. What is your dream for our wedding?"

"Don –"

"Indulge me." He sat back against the end of the couch and shifted her so she was leaning back against him. "Close your eyes. Tell me what you see."

She turned her head, glancing over her shoulder at him, her expression skeptical. "You're missing the Rangers game."

"I'll catch the highlights later. Close your eyes."

She rolled her eyes, but finally complied and leaned her head back against his chest. "Fine."

"All right. So, when you were a little girl and you dreamed about marrying your prince charming one day, how did you picture it?"

"Wow, that's not at all arrogant. You're Prince Charming now?" she scoffed, opening her eyes.

"Cute there Hansen. Now, close your eyes or I'm not gonna do that thing with my hand where –"

"That's low, Donnie."

"Would you just shut your eyes already? Christ, even Katie wasn't this difficult this morning."

She chuckled, taking his hand and pulling it around her before finally her eyes closed again.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Now, forget about the wedding night for a second, okay?"

Noelle giggled. "That's your dream, baby."

He nipped at her earlobe before sitting back up. "So…?"

She sighed. "Okay, fine. Uh, yeah, so it would be nice to have your parents and your brothers and sisters and all their kids, and Mom, Dad, Mark and Jen and Erin all there. Katie would look really cute in a frilly white dress, toddling down the aisle with a basket of flowers, right?"

He smiled at the picture she was painting. "Yeah."

"Hmm. You'd look hot in your dress blues."

"You want me in uniform?"

"It's my dream, right?"

"All right. I'm in uniform. What else?"

"Danny's your best man. He's in uniform, too. Jen's my matron-of-honour. She's in blue to match. I guess that's our colour scheme," she laughed softly. "Yeah. Blue and silver."

"The buttons on our dress blues are brass. That matter?"

"Uh, not in my dream it doesn't. So, what else? Oh, gerbera daisies. Lots of them. At the altar, in my bouquet, the centre pieces at the reception. Blue table cloths and white gerbera daisies and votive candles floating in wide vases."

"That's pretty specific there, sweetheart. So, just immediate family?"

"Hmm. No. All your friends from the Lab and from the squad would be there. And all of our aunts, uncles and cousins. My friends from work. My close friends from Sarah Lawrence. They'd all stand and watch as I walk up the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon played by a string quartet."

He ran a hand back through her hair. "And where is this happening? Are we in a church? Outside somewhere?"

"A garden, so we don't tick off your parents or mine. Both Father Timothy and Rev. Miller are presiding. It's my dream, so that wouldn't be a problem for either of them. And afterwards, we party. No sit-down dinner or speeches or formalities. Just a party. With lots of dancing."

"Dancing? I don't –"

"My dream, Donnie. You're dancing. Bon Jovi's _Seat Next to You_ is our first dance. Then we just rock out with some kick-ass D.J. Then just after midnight, you and me, we just take off."

"To where?" he asked, kissing her temple.

"Hmm. I don't know. You said this was a dream, money's no object?"

"Money's no object."

"The Plaza."

Don chuckled. "My baby's got expensive taste."

"We're not paying for it," she kidded.

"Ah. Smart girl."

"And then we make love all night long because seeing you in uniform all day has just about driven me crazy."

"I can so get behind that last part," he teased her.

She smirked. "I bet." She opened her eyes then and turned so she could look at him. "And then we live happily ever after."

"I thought you didn't believe in dreams and fairy tales."

Noelle shrugged then. "I think you just made me start believing."

He reached over and touched her face. "If that's the wedding you want, then we'll find some way to make it happen."

"We don't –"

"Let me do this for you. Well, I might not be able to swing the Plaza. But everything else…I love you, Noli. And that picture you just described, there's nothing about that we can't pull off. There's got to be a garden or some such place out there somewhere that's not gonna cost us my entire year's city salary to rent. No sit down dinner? I can so go with that. We'll get married _after _dinner and just have those puff pastry things and stuff. Definitely open bar, though, or Messer and half my cousins won't show up. You might even get a dance out of me if it means I get to hold you."

She bit her lip and slowly, a smile curled across her lips as she contemplated what he was proposing. "Really?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Let's do it."

"Okay. Tomorrow, we'll start makin' some calls." He leaned over and kissed her, gently at first before he took her face in his hands and deepened the kiss. "In the meantime…"

"You've had a busy day. You sure you're up for a preview of the wedding night there, Detective?"

"That's a rhetorical question, right?"


	24. Location, Location, Location

**A/N **Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and I wish everyone the best in 2008! And now, on with the continuing story of our hero, Don Flack…

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"You owe me so big, Flack. I'm talkin', at a minimum, stockin' my fridge for the next year with the good stuff. Not that cheap, 'buck a beer' crap, but the real –"

"You got a point in there somewhere, Messer?" Don asked with a hint of annoyance, glancing up from the pile of paperwork on his desk to find his best friend sitting on the edge.

Danny threw a file down in front of him.

Assuming the papers were connected to the homicide they were both working, Don looked up at the CSI with confusion when he saw photos of a castle and some pages with an address north of the city on top. "What's this?"

"See, you think I don't listen when you're talkin', but this time I did. And I have just solved all your problems."

"I think you're gonna have to spell this out for me, Danno."

"Okay, so you were ranting about not bein' able to find someplace for the wedding that wasn't gonna cost you an entire year's salary, right? So, it got me thinkin'. That investigation Linds and I just wrapped up? At that castle? Well, the owners were so grateful when we solved the case so quickly without the press gettin' wind of a murder on the grounds, they said if they could ever help _us_ out, give 'em a call. Yeah, so, I called. And as far as they're concerned, hosting the wedding of one of New York's finest can only be a win-win. They'll give you the place for the ceremony _and _the reception at virtually no cost."

"Virtually."

"Nothin' is free in this life, buddy. But we're talkin' serious discounts. C'mon. Think about it. They have these gardens that are exactly how Noelle described. And the place is huge, man. I mean, processing it was a nightmare, but with any luck, there'll be no indictable offences goin' down on your wedding day, right? Tell me I didn't just save your ass."

"You're serious?"

"As a first degree murder charge. All you gotta do is give 'em a call. They said you and Hansen could go up and check the place out, talk about dates…"

Don sat back in his chair.

"What?"

"Noelle really likes the whole idea of getting married outside. We're looking at April at the earliest to make that happen."

Danny shrugged. "It's not that far off."

"It's at least five months away. Maybe she's right, man. Maybe we should just go down to City Hall."

"What's the rush?"

"This from the guy who threw his wedding together in, what, three weeks?"

Messer smirked then. "Okay, okay, I hear ya."

"Lorenzo said it would be easier to adopt Katie if we're married."

"Well, if you run off to City Hall, let me know so I can start puttin' a eulogy together, 'cause your ma's going to kill you."

"Tell me about it."

"Look, just go check the place out. What could it hurt? Anyway, I gotta get back to the Lab. I'll let ya know if we get anything off the trace we pulled."

"Yeah. Thanks, man. For all of this."

"Hey, I take my best man duties very seriously. Talk to you later."

Don watched Danny head out of the pit, then he picked up the file his friend had left. He sifted through the pages, lists of menus, brochures with pictures, lay-outs, etc. The place was a castle for God's sake. If he wanted the love of his life to have her fairytale wedding, what better place?

He made a couple of calls, then he stared at his cell for a moment before hitting speed dial.

"Corporate Compliance, Noelle Hansen."

"Hey, beautiful," Flack greeted.

"Marco, I thought I told you to stop calling here."

He chuckled. "Hey, you tell your other boyfriends hands off, huh? If I dust ya for prints, I'd better only find mine," he teased his fiancée.

"Ah, no worries there. But I have to tell you, I don't think there's enough finger print powder in the world to cover all the prints you left on me last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Christ," he muttered under his breath. "I, uh – I actually called for a reason."

"Besides getting me all hot and bothered?"

"Believe it or not. Can you get away for lunch?"

"You're in luck. My one o'clock meeting just got cancelled."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up in about ninety minutes."

"Where are we going?"

"For a drive. I'll see ya in a bit." With a smug grin, he disconnected the call before she could ask any more questions.

A couple hours later, Don navigated his SUV through a gate and up a long and winding driveway. Despite Noelle's impatient plea for details, he ignored her, knowing from one of the photos Danny had left that there was an incredible view awaiting them. Moments later, as the castle appeared, he glanced over at the wide-eyed expression on his fiancée's face.

"Wh-what is this place?" she asked.

"_This _is where we're gonna get married. Unless you can come up with a better idea." He parked his car in the circular driveway, enjoying the somewhat stunned look on Noelle's face.

Getting out of his car, Noelle looked from the castle to the grounds and back again. "You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head with a smile, walking around to her side and taking her hand.

"How? When? You didn't sell Katie for this, did you?" she asked suspiciously.

He chuckled. "No. Unfortunately, we may owe Messer for the rest of our lives, though. C'mon." He tugged on her hand and led her inside.

They were greeted inside the front entryway by Deborah, the event co-coordinator Don had spoken with earlier on the telephone. She gave them a full tour, explaining various possibilities for locations for both the ceremony and the reception, depending on the setting they wanted, time of year they were considering, and the number of people that would be attending. Noelle was in shock the whole time, and finally, stopped in the conservatory, she pulled her fiancé aside.

"Something wrong, doll?"

Noelle looked at him incredulously. "This place is _way_ out of our league, Donnie. There's no way we can afford this."

"Don't worry 'bout that."

"What do you mean, don't worry? You're a public servant. I used most of my savings to finalize the adoption. We cannot afford a wedding at a castle."

"Why don't I leave you two alone for a few minutes to discuss things?" Deborah suggested.

Don nodded gratefully and waited until she was out of earshot before he looked back at his fiancée. "Noli, sweetheart –"

"No, Don, look, I appreciate you trying to give me the wedding of my dreams, but our marriage is more important to me than the wedding. _One day_ is not worth putting us into debt."

"Trust me, it won't."

She looked at him skeptically. "What aren't you telling me?"

Don was certain she would be less than thrilled about getting married at the scene of one of the city's most recent homicides, so he really did not want to tell her why the place was practically being handed to them. "Listen, doll, we have roles in this relationship, okay? _I'm _the cynical, suspicious one, you're the idealistic, romantic one. So, as the idealistic, romantic one, tell me getting married in a castle isn't pretty cool."

"It _is_ pretty cool," Noelle relented. "You really didn't have to sell your soul or anything for this?"

"Baby, I swear, there's nothing underhanded goin' on here," he assured her. "Well, except like I said earlier, we kinda owe Dan."

She bit her lip before a wide smile finally lit up her entire face. "We could have the ceremony in here, with all the flowers and plants. That way, we wouldn't have to wait until the spring. I mean, look at this conservatory! And I bet they have this place all decorated during the holidays. Picture the ballroom with poinsettias all around the room, set against the dark wood paneling and the windows?"

"We could do it between Christmas and New Year's. Ellie and Sam will be in town, you said your uncle and aunt are already coming down here this year for the holidays…"

She glanced around the room, seeing the possibilities and getting more and more excited by the minute. "You're really serious about this?"

He nodded, taking her in his arms. "I'm serious. Let's do this, Noli."

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

She nodded excitedly.

Don picked her up and spun her around, causing her to shriek in delight.

An hour later, the groundwork had been laid for their holiday wedding. As they hammered out plans for an early evening ceremony in the conservatory followed by a cocktail reception and dancing late into the night in the ballroom, Don found himself growing as excited as his future bride. For him, though, the exhilaration was grounded in the knowledge that by the end of December, Noelle would be his wife and soon after, they would be able to finalize the details to make Katie his daughter. By the end of the year, he would have the family he had not even realized he wanted but now could not conceive of living without.

As Don opened Noelle's car door for her as they prepared to leave, she stopped him, pulling him down to her for a deep kiss. "You know something? I think that _you're_ really the romantic one," she said as they came up for air.

"Just promise you won't let the guys in the house know or I'll never hear the end of it."

"My lips are sealed."

He kissed her again. "I do love you, Noelle Hansen. And I can't wait to marry you."

"I love you, too. You have already given me _and _my daughter so much, and I can't wait to really start our life together. And this…" She glanced back at the building which would be hosting their wedding. "This surpasses every dream I've ever had."

"Good, because all I ever want is for you and Katie to be happy. I'll do my damnedest to make sure that happens for the rest of our lives."

She sighed, resting her forehead against his chest. "You need to stop saying things like that to me or we're not going to get back to work this afternoon."

He kissed the top of her head. "Ah, then we should go, because if I get fired, there goes your fantasy of me in my dress blues," he teased her.

She laughed softly. "We can't have that. Let's go, Detective."

"You're no fun," he kidded, kissing her temple. He walked around to the driver's side. Seeing that she had not gotten into the SUV yet, he raised his eyebrows. "Noli?"

"You said we owed Danny for this. How exactly are we supposed to repay him?"

"I'm not sure. But I believe there will be beer involved. Lots of beer."


	25. The War

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Don, what have we got?" Mac asked as he and Danny approached the crime scene tape.

Flack walked over to greet them by the yellow tape that had now cordoned off the entire rooftop terrace, his expression betraying the wearniness he was feeling. He had been on his feet for eigthteen hours and had already missed Thanksgiving dinner with his family. His mood had gone from bad to worse two hours ago and this scene was the last thing he wanted to deal with tonight. "Vincent Milagro." Seeing the raise of Danny's eyebrows, Don nodded. "Yes, _that _Milagro. That was his penthouse you walked through to get up here, the only access to the roof. Took two shots, one to the head, one to the chest."

Danny whistled. "It's on, huh? Carlos Carvaggio has made his move."

"We don't know this was Caravaggio, Danny," Mac replied sternly.

"C'mon, Mac. It's turning into an all-out mob war around here."

"I'm not sure I disagree with Dan," Flack agreed. "Not since Wilder's crew had run of the streets have things been this bad. Except at least everyone was afraid of Gavin Wilder." He ran a hand through his hair. "Not witnesses and doorman said there was no unusual activity in the building tonight."

"Course not," Messer scoffed.

"Yeah, well, not surprising. My guess – he was shot by someone from that roof over there."

Danny and Mac followed his gaze to the building across the street. Mac glanced back at the body and from its position, suspected Don was right.

"I got nothin' from my initial canvas, so it's gonna be up to you science guys. In the meantime, I'm goin' to get some coffee." Don nodded at both of them, then headed back across the room, under the tape, and down the stairs. He made his way through the penthouse where a bunch of uniforms were milling about and out to the elevator. He pounded the down button harder than necessary, his exhaustion and frustration starting to get to him.

The elevator arrived and the doors opened, and before Don could step on, Chief Bowery emerged. "Detective Flack."

"Chief."

The Chief of Detectives looked none too pleased about being at a crime scene on Thanksgiving. Although, since Sinclair has been relieved of his duties following an ugly sexual harrassment scandal, and Bowery appointed as his successor, the Chief never showed up just to put in an appearance. "What do we have?" he demanded.

"Apart from Vincent Milagro's body, not much at this point, sir. Mac Taylor and his team have just started processing."

The Chief nodded, running a hand over his greying beard. "We need to nip this in the bud, Don. There appears to be a war brewing on our streets and that's the last thing this city needs. I'm already getting calls from the Mayor's office on this."

"Yes, sir."

"I want you to take the lead on this, Flack. I've already spoken to Hill and your case load will be re-distributed as necessary. If this _is_ really the beginnings of war, this is going to require your full attention."

"I, uh –- I appreciate the vote of confidence, Chief."

"It's well placed. Now, go get yourself a cup of coffee. You look like hell." He crossed the hall while Don once again punched the down button on the elevator. "Oh, and my wife and I are looking forward to the wedding. Kathy's always loved Webber Castle," the Chief added over his shoulder before entering the penthouse.

Don sighed. Great. Not only was his Thanksgiving ruined, but his wedding was turning into a who's who of the police department. As a courtesy, he had invited his captain, Bowery, the Chief of Department, and even the commissioner, expecting only Captain Hill to show up. However, with Bowery's verbal RSVP, they were all coming. "Should've invited the freakin' mayor," Flack muttered as the elevator doors closed.

Down on the street, he crossed over to the small café on the other side and ordered himself a large black coffee. While he was waiting, his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket without glancing at the call display and brought it to his ear. "Yeah, Flack," he grumbled.

"Someone doesn't sound very festive."

Don smirked. "Hey, beautiful." He dropped enough change onto the counter to cover his coffee, took the cup and headed back outside. "I'm really sorry about tonight, doll. It was not my intention for you to have to fend for yourself at your first Flack holiday dinner."

"You have nothing to apologize for, baby. Katie and I had a great time. But why didn't you ever tell me you were offered a scholarship to NYU?" Noelle asked.

"Christ. How many family secrets did my sisters divulge?"

Noelle laughed softly. "Let's just say I have some ammunition," she teased him. "But actually, that one came from Will."

"Oh, well, I could tell you some things about my brother."

"I'm sure. You sound tired, sweetie. You going to make it home tonight?"

"Probably not. And I wish I could say that I was going to make it to dinner at your folks Saturday, but a big case just dropped and the Chief of Detectives appointed me lead on it."

"That's great, Donnie! I mean, not the murder part, but that the Chief assigned this to _you_, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. Oh, and he's coming to the wedding."

"Really? Wow, there've been like no refusals. We should've invited the mayor."

Don laughed at the fact that her mind went to the same place his had. "You freaked out yet that our wedding is turning into the NYPD's social event of the year?"

"Uh, yeah, just a little. City Hall still an option?"

"Not unless you're okay with leaving your daughter an orphan," he countered.

"Oh, right, our mothers. Well, then, I guess we're doing this on December twenty-eighth in front of God and half of the New York City Police Department. Speaking of which, did you hear back from the chaplain?"

"Yeah. Sgt. St. James is very happy to officiate."

"Perfect."

"My folks didn't give you a hard time at all tonight about it, did they?" he asked a little worriedly.

"No. But c'mon, did you think Jump was going to argue with having an NYPD chaplain perform our wedding?"

"No, but we both know Ma's silently having a coronary over the fact that it's not Father Timothy at St Francis."

"So I guess I shouldn't have also told her that we've been having _lots_ of mind-blowing pre-marital sex, huh?" she quipped.

"Cute, Hansen."

"Donnie, your mother was convinced that you were never going to settle down, so I think getting married in a castle has far surpassed any hopes she had, honey."

"What about Jack and Sarah?"

"Dad's already working on his speech and Mom cries every time I say the word 'wedding'. We're good."

He shook his head with a chuckle. "I love you, Noelle. Sorry again 'bout tonight."

"You can work every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter for the rest of our lives. Just show up next month on the twenty-eighth or I might not be so understanding."

"You got it. Give Katie a kiss for me?"

"I will. I love you, too. Make sure you get some sleep, okay?"

"Always looking out for me, aren't ya, doll?"

"It's in the job description. I'll let you go fight crime. Call me in the morning?"

"I will. Bye, baby." He disconnected the call and put his phone back in his pocket with a sigh. Had he not been so tired, he probably would have been on top of the world. He was about to marry the woman he loved more than anything, his friends were all happy, his career was on fire and he had just been handed a huge case…And of course, being the cynical New Yorker he was, he was suspicious. Could things really be this perfect?

Don took a sip of his coffee, then headed back to the crime scene. Sheldon had arrived to help, and he and Danny were setting up some lasers to calculate trajectory. Mac was off to the side speaking with Bowery. He narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the roof. This was a clear assassination. Either Milagro had been lured onto the roof, or someone knew his habits enough to know he would be up there. Don ran a hand through his hair. If this was Caravaggio, he didn't do it himself and a hit was going to be next to impossible to prove. And now matter what, with Milagro out of the picture, there was soon going to be a turf war on the streets of New York.


	26. Panic Attacks

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"You're kidding me. Two hundred and seventy-two said "yes"? How do we even know two hundred and seventy-two people!" Noelle exclaimed.

Don watched his fiancée with amusement from his spot on the couch as she paced across her living room floor. "Do I need you to get a paper bag? Are you about to hyperventilate on me?"

She shot him a glare.

"What?"

"It's between Christmas and New Year's. Why aren't these people busy?"

Flack just sat back and let Noelle have her little panic attack. She had been vacillating the past couple weeks between excitement and terror, so this was nothing new. Planning a wedding in a short amount of time while also preparing for the holidays and Don having to work crazy hours had resulted in quite a bit of stress, and if he had learned anything, it was that Noelle got just a little bit nuts when she was stressed out.

Don's cell rang, and he looked at his fiancée apologetically as he pulled it off his belt and glanced at the call display. "Sorry. It's the Chief." He got up and headed into the bedroom for some privacy, figuring he was probably about to get a stern lecture about the lack of an arrest in the Milagro case.

Noelle went and slumped down on the couch with her 'to do' list, crossing a few items off and adding a couple that had just come to mind. She was massaging her temples a few minutes later when Don returned, his upbeat mood from earlier definitely soured. "What's wrong?"

"I gotta go, doll."

"What? No, Don, you're supposed to be helping me figure some of this stuff out tonight."

"What's to figure out?" he asked, slipping on his suit jacket. "I faxed the final menu this morning. Mark and Will have ordered their tuxes, you said the girls picked up their dresses yesterday. We're good."

"What about Christmas? We need to finalize where we're going to be when."

"We'll do it tomorrow. I promise. Look, sweetheart, I'm sorry. But there's a multiple murder scene and they're pretty sure it's linked to the case I'm working on. I have to be there."

"And what if there's a murder the day of our wedding?" she argued.

"Then someone else will take it. And maybe a large group of our guests will check out and you can relax a little," he teased her. But he quickly realized she was not amused. With a furrowed brow, he walked over and crouched down in front of her. "I'm sorry, okay? But look, everything's good. It's going to be the party of the year, you're going to look ravishing, I'm going to dance because it's going to make you happy…Our wedding is going to put the Policeman's Ball in February to shame because you are so damn organized and everything's already under control."

"Two hundred and seventy-two people, Donnie. What were we thinking?"

"I believe we were thinking that half of 'em weren't goin' to show up." He leaned over and kissed her quickly. "I probably won't be back tonight."

"You're lucky I love you so much or I'd be really upset right about now."

"Who are you kidding? You _are_ really upset right now. But I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go on. Maybe at least one of us will accomplish something tonight."

He kissed her forehead, then straightened up and went to head out.

"Wait, wait a second. You said _multiple _murder," she said, following him down the hallway towards the front door.

He nodded somberly.

She furrowed her brow. "Donnie, what exactly are you getting involved in?" she asked, genuinely concerned now that everything had sunk in. Suddenly her wedding-related anxiety was being replaced by fear for her fiancé's safety.

"It's just a case, sweetheart."

"No, it's not just a case or the Chief of Detectives wouldn't be calling the shots. This is big, isn't it? Is it dangerous?"

"No more than any other case I've worked."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? I've seen you naked, Don—"

He smirked.

"I'm serious, here! I've seen that scar down your chest. And I've read about the Wilder bust."

"Noli…" Seeing and hearing that his assurances had not quelled her fears, he leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you so damn much and I can't wait to marry you. And I'm about to adopt the coolest little kid. I have a lot of incentive to make it home at night."

"Please, just promise me that you'll be careful."

"Always." His kissed her again quickly, then headed out, leaving Noelle to her lists and plans, a sleeping daughter and quiet apartment, and her lingering fears.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"So, how are the wedding plans coming?" Jennifer asked Don as the two appraised the crime scene – an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx where four men lay dead.

"If this keeps happening, there might not be a wedding. I think Noelle's just about had it with me running out," Don replied. He glanced over at his fellow detective then. "Listen, Jen, you know I'm not pulling rank on you here, right?"

Det. Angell looked at him a little incredulously. "Even if you were, Flack, you think I'd care? I'm more than happy not to be involved in this reprise of Gangs of New York. It's starting to feel like we're back in the early years of Dinkins' administration."

Don scoffed. "When you were, what, five?"

"More like fifteen, but thanks. C'mon, we both know that when the city puts out their crime stats for this year, there're gonna be heads rolling. The list of brass comin' to your wedding might not be so impressive three months from now. Hell, between the rise in hand guns and organized crime around here, I'm starting to wonder if I should be heading back to Boston."

"Well, I heard the Mayor and Governor are trying to arrange a meeting with government officials in Toronto next month to discuss some cross-border initiative," Don explained.

"McGuinty blamin' us again?" Danny grumbled, stepping up beside the two homicide detectives and rubbing his hands together to fight against the cold wind that seemed to have arisen out of nowhere.

"I don't think anyone's blaming anyone for anything, Messer," Jen admonished. "But the fact is, there's a growing network between them and us with drugs and weapons going both ways." At Danny's still skeptical expression, she raised an eyebrow. "What? You think it's a coincidence that they're crime rate starting rising the same time ours did?

"Great. Just great."

"Look, Dan, I know I don't need to tell you this, but be thorough. This appears to be the last of Milagro's crew. If we can get Caravaggio on this, maybe we can end it," Don said hopefully.

"You've been hanging around Hansen too long. You're starting to spout wishful thinkin' there, man."

"Maybe. But I left a pissed off fiancée at home and I'd like it if she actually likes _me_ when she says 'I do.'"

Danny clapped him on the shoulder. "Then we'll see what we can do."

"Looks like the last known tenant just arrived. I'll go see what I can find out," said Angell, waving at the guys and heading off across the floor.

Messer looked at his best friend. "You're not gonna have to cancel out on your own stag on Saturday, are ya?"

"Hill promised me the night off. But I swear, Messer, if there are any strippers –"

"Hansen, Montana and Mark's wife will all be lined up to kill me before you get the chance. I promise, no strippers."

Don nodded gratefully.

"You gettin' nervous yet?"

"Not about marryin' Noelle. But I just want everything to go smoothly. Noelle's had enough pain to last a lifetime and I want her wedding day to be perfect. But I gotta tell ya, with all this crap that's been goin' down, I've got a bad feeling."

Danny furrowed his brow. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Tell me it's a good idea to have most of the NYPD brass in one place when there's a mob war raging outside."

"Look, man, nothin' is gonna happen at your wedding. I'll make sure of it."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Noelle gazed at the dress laid out on her bed, a smile on her face despite tears in her eyes. Despite the anxiety she was feeling, she really was more excited than anything. She was glad Don had convinced her to have the big wedding and she was grateful for whatever Danny had done to arrange the castle for them. In just over two weeks, she would be Mrs. Donald Flack, Jr., and she could not be more proud. And looking at her dress, she knew everything was going to be just fine.

And then a piercing scream filled the apartment.

Noelle escaped her reverie and flew into Katie's bedroom to find the toddler wailing.

"Oh, baby, what's wrong?" Noelle reached down and picked her daughter up out of her crib, feeling instantly how warm she was. "We need to figure out why you keep getting these colds, sweetie."

Katie's limbs flailed and she continued to scream at the top of her lungs.

Noelle promptly took the little girl's temperature, alarmed to find it at one-oh-three. It had never been that high before, and when she noticed a rash on Katie's stomach and the little girl yowled again, the stress she had been feeling the last few days caused her to panic more than she normally would have. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's going to get you all better, okay? C'mon."

On the drive to Mt Sinai, Katie still screaming in the backseat, Noelle pulled out her cell, hitting speed dial. "C'mon, c'mon, pick up Donnie," she muttered.

"Detective Flack."

"Donnie…Oh, God, it's me. Something's wrong with Ekaterina."


	27. Bad Omens

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"I am such an idiot. I mean, like, CFS should really come in here and ask me what the hell I think I'm doing," Noelle lamented as she and Don walked through her front door, Katie sound asleep in the tall detective's arms.

"She's been stuffed up for the past couple days then suddenly she spikes a fever and develops a rash? Doll, my head wouldn't have gone straight to chicken pox, either. You did the right thing," he assured her. "I'm gonna go put her down then I'm going to get out of this suit and get you a cup of tea, okay?"

"What about your investigation?"

"I can't do anything else until Dan and Linds finish processing the scene. I'm good here 'til morning." He kissed her temple, then carried Katie down the hall to her bedroom. He changed her into another pair of pajamas, her others having soaked through before her fever broke, then laid her in her crib with a kiss to her forehead. He quietly eased himself out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Noelle shrieked.

Don abandoned his route to the bedroom to change and wandered back to the living room where he found Noelle with her phone to her ear. "What?"

"Mark called. Guess who came down with the chicken pox this morning?"

"Erin?"

Noelle nodded, half-listening the rest of her brother's message. "This is crazy! We're getting married in two weeks and we've got two kids with chicken pox!"

"It'll be fine, sweetheart." Don's cell rang then. He pulled it off his belt. "It's Messer. I'll just let him give me an update on the case then we can figure this out, okay?"

She nodded, hitting delete as the message ended.

Don answered his phone and brought it up to his ear. "Hey, Mess. You won't believe this. Katie's got –"

"Chicken pox?" Danny cut in.

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"'Cause Ma just called. Olivia's got it, too, and Matt's been fussing all evening. She figures he's about to break out," Messer explained.

"Jesus Christ." Don ran a hand through his hair. "Wait, are they okay? I mean, is it dangerous to have it when they're so little?"

Noelle looked over wide-eyed, half-hearing Don's side of his conversation while trying to listen to the other message on her machine.

"No, actually Hawkes said it's better because they usually get milder cases the younger they are. Something about still having antibodies or something."

"Thank God. That's good. Well, Noli's niece has got it as well."

"So does _your _niece," Noelle sighed.

Don glanced over at her. "_What_?"

"Message from Will warning me to check on Katie. Claire's got it."

Don incredulously relayed the message to Danny. "Uh, man, I gotta go. I think my fiancée's about to have a nervous breakdown."

"Sure thing, man. Tell her it's gonna be okay. They'll be over this inside a week."

"Yeah, yeah. Take it easy. I'll see ya tomorrow." Don disconnected the call and turned to Noelle to see her dialing her land line. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling Laura. The kids have all been around each other over the past week. Who knows who started this."

"Patrick's already had it," Don recalled.

"What about Josh?"

He shook his head.

Noelle reached Don's younger sister and told her what was happening, relieved to not only have it confirmed that their five year old had already had the virus but also that they had had their two year old vaccinated against it. Hanging up the phone, she shook her head. "Why didn't _I _get Katie vaccinated?"

"'Cause your idiot doctor told you not to worry about it. That's it, we're changing pediatricians. I never liked that guy."

"You'll hear no argument from me." She walked over and slumped down on the couch. "Great. So we've got, what, five kids all down with this thing? There go the parties this weekend."

"Why? If they've all got it, they can all hang out together. And it actually works out because since they're all breaking out now, they'll be over it by Christmas and definitely by the wedding."

"You really are an optimist, aren't you?" she said with a small smile.

"In the privacy of our home, yeah, I am. Now I'm gonna go get out of this suit."

Noelle buried her head in her hands. Could this get any worse? And then she realized that yes, in fact, it could. "Donnie! No!" she yelled, running at lightening speed towards her bedroom.

But it was too late. Don stood in the doorway to his fiancée's room, staring at the dress laid out on her bed.

Noelle came up behind him, followed his gaze, and promptly broke into tears. "That's it! We can't get married!" she cried. "Apparently one bad omen isn't enough. Oh, no, they're just gonna keep hitting us over the head with them until we get it!"

Don took one last look at the dress, then hit the lights, closed the door and took Noelle's hand, practically dragging her down the hall back to the living room. He sat her down on the couch then sat down next to her. "Noli, listen to me, you don't believe any of those stupid superstitions anymore than I do. Besides, and correct me if I'm wrong, there's no correlation between chicken pox and bad wedding luck."

"But it _is_ bad luck for you to have seen my dress."

"I saw a bunch of white material lying on your bed. I'm a cop. What do I know about fashion? I couldn't tell you if what I saw was even right side up, strapless or sequined, or whatever the hell else a wedding dress may be."

She sniffled, wiping away a tear that escaped from her eye.

"But really, doll, white? Really?" he teased her.

In spite of herself, she laughed softly at that and playfully punched at his shoulder.

"Baby, I don't care if Webber Castle burns to the ground tomorrow or if some weird plant disease infests all the poinsettias in the greenhouse. Nothing is going to keep me from marrying you. See, I am crazy in love with you."

She laid her head back against the couch with a sigh. "I love you, too. But I have to tell you, I feel like if I looked outside tomorrow morning and the sky had fallen, I wouldn't be surprised."

Don was quiet for a moment. It was hard enough for Noelle to trust in good things when everything was going well. He had no idea how to convince her that despite everything that had happened today, their wedding could still be the one she had always dreamed about. "Go put your dress away," he finally said.

She glanced over at him. "What?"

"Just go put your dress away, all right? I mean, I have every intention of getting a good night's sleep in there tonight and that ain't gonna happen if I'm not allowed in the room, so go put your dress wherever it was before."

She just nodded, then silently got up and disappeared into her bedroom.

Don walked over to the china cabinet and pulled out a couple candles, setting them on the dining room table and lighting them. He went into the kitchen and found a couple bottles of red wine. Settling on the Merlot, the opened it and poured two glasses, setting them on the living room table. He then found the Michael Bublé CD Noelle loved so much and set it to play the sixth track. He dimmed the lights then with a smile as he surveyed his handiwork.

"Okay, it's safe now if you…" Noelle's voice trailed off as she returned to the living room and saw what her fiancé had done. "Oh, my God."

Don hit play on the CD player and the opening notes of Lost started playing. "I was thinking we should probably practice this dancing stuff," he said, extending his hand to her.

She bit her lip, fighting back tears. She took his hand and let him pull her into his arms. She held on tightly as they danced together.

'_Cause you are not alone  
And I am there with you  
And we'll get lost together  
Till the light comes pouring through  
'Cause when you feel like you're done  
And the darkness has won  
Babe, you're not lost  
When the world's crashing down  
And you cannot bear the thought  
I said, baby, you're not lost._

"Maybe this should be our first dance," Noelle suggested.

"Whatever you want, doll."

She leaned up and met his kiss, feeling the tension of the day all leave her body. "Hmm. Maybe you were right about the whole wearing white thing, 'cause I'm suddenly having all of these impure thoughts."

"I would be _more_ than happy to help you out with that," Flack offered with a flash of his dimples.

"So chivalrous of you, Detective."

"Isn't it?" He leaned down and caught her lips in a searing kiss.

"Uh-huh," she moaned between kisses. "Your mother would be so proud."

Don pulled back and looked at her. "What'd I tell you about mentioning my parents when we're about to, you know –"

"Oh, right. As effective as a cold shower. Forget I said anything." She pulled on his tie and brought him back to her, quickly making him forget the slip with her kiss. "In fact, how 'bout I just not say anything for the rest of the night?"

"There are some things you could say. You know, like –"

"I get it. You go blow out the candles and lock up, and I'll go do something about all these clothes I'm wearing." She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned and headed towards her bedroom, glancing back at him once with a seductive smile.

Don glanced heavenward. "Noli's actually calm and I'm about to have sex. Is it too much to ask that we hold off any more crises until tomorrow? Much appreciated."

He locked and chained the front door and extinguished the candles, then grabbed the glasses of wine and headed towards the bedroom. Needless to say, after finding his fiancée naked and waiting, the wine was left untouched a lot longer than she was.


	28. Suspicions

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Do I even wanna know what happened here last night?" Noelle asked as she walked into Don's living room, still littered with empty beer bottles and pizza boxes.

He grunted in response, not moving from his spot splayed out on his back on the couch, an arm thrown over his eyes.

She laughed softly, kneeling down beside the couch. She reached over and ran her hand through his hair. "Exactly how hung over are you?"

"How are you _not_?" he countered.

"Well, the girls actually went pretty easy on me. Lots of champagne, but mostly just sitting around and chatting. But looking at this place, I guess I can't same the same for you." She kissed his forehead. Glancing at the coffee table, she noticed shot glasses scattered around along with the beer bottles. "So, what exactly and how much did you drink last night?"

"Beer. Tequila. Whiskey. Lots."

"Hmm. I'll get you some water." She jumped up, gathering an armful of bottles and glasses, and walked into the kitchen. As quietly as she could, she set everything on the kitchen table to sort later, then opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She grabbed a couple aspirin as well, then returned to the living room and sat down on the floor by his head. "Here."

He gratefully took the bottle of water from her and knocked back the aspirin with about half of it. He then let his eyes focus on his fiancée for the first time since her arrival. "You're so freakin' gorgeous."

"You're apparently still drunk."

"Nah, completely and painfully sober."

"So, I'm going to regret asking this, but –"

"No strippers. Promise. Pretty much same as you, except the drinks were harder and we played a lot of poker. Messer walked away with half my last paycheque."

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "I guess we're honeymooning on a budget."

"No worries. I'll get it back." He ran his fingers through his hair, slowly easing his way up into a sitting position. "You see Katie this morning?"

"No, but I talked to Mom and Dad and they said both she and Erin slept through the night and they were wolfing down pancakes this morning. Claire seems to have gotten it the worst. I mean, Katie hasn't even gotten any more spots."

"Good, that's good. I hate the idea of her not feeling well." He groaned than as his head throbbed. "Oh, God, I need a shower."

"And a shave," she added, touching his cheek. "Although, you look really sexy right now."

He flashed her his dimpled grin.

She blushed slightly as he continued to stare at her, a predatory look in his eyes. "What?"

"You wanna come with?" he almost growled.

The way he was looking at her and as sexy as he looked himself right now, she was not about to deny him – the feeling was certainly mutual. She jumped up off the floor and headed towards the bathroom.

Don was quickly on his feet and following his fiancée down the hall. Inside the bathroom, he backed her up against the wall and leaned down to capture her lips. His hands worked their way under her t-shirt, searching for bare skin.

She pulled back just long enough to pull off her own shirt and ease his undershirt off over his head. She unbuttoned the fly on his jeans anxiously and he did likewise. She stepped out of hers, then held him back as she seductively reached back and unclasped her bra, then wriggled out of her underwear.

Don just about lost it as he watched her. This woman who was so unbelievably beautiful, who was about to become his wife in just under two weeks, was offering herself to him so unabashedly. He knew she was only this way for him – had only ever been this way for him. No other man had ever touched her like he was allowed to. While he felt sorry for the rest of the men on the planet, he could not help being proud that he was the man she had picked.

She furrowed her brow when he did not move for a moment. He was watching her, but the intensity of his gaze surpassed just desire and it unnerved her a little. "Donnie?" she asked, immediately self-conscious.

He closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, kissing her deeply. He quickly rid himself of the rest of his clothes and moved over to the shower, turning on the water and making sure it was hot enough before he pulled her in with him. He pressed her against the wall and she shivered from a mixture of the cold of the tile on her back and excitement of being there with him. He kissed her languidly as the hot water poured down over them.

They made love to her there under the water, then they moved down the hall to his bedroom where he took her again.

"What if our wedding night is a little, uh – anti-climactic?" she asked as they both dressed a while later.

"Sweetheart, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. It's just gonna get better once we're married," he assured her.

She smiled at his confidence.

"You're not sorry you didn't wait, are you?"

"No. Besides, I've known I was going to marry you since the night we met."

He grinned. "Yeah? Hmm. So, I guess this was a love-at-first-sight thing, huh?"

"I'm not sure your ego can take it if I answer that," she teased him.

He laughed.

They returned to the living room so Don could finish cleaning up from the night before, while his fiancée worked to pack up the last of his stuff. Her hope was to have him completely settled into her apartment before the wedding so they could return from their honeymoon without too much to do.

Sitting down on the floor in the corner, she was going through the large number of CD's he owned when Don slumped down on the couch after taking out the garbage and recycling for the next day's pick-up. "We've got a lot of duplicates," she pointed out.

"Set 'em all aside and we can probably give 'em away. Andrew's fifteen, he's probably into some of this stuff," he suggested.

"Uh, yeah, 'cause it's really cool these days to listen to R.E.M.," she kidded him, holding "Reveal" in her hands.

"Hey, they're coming out with a new album. They'll be cool again, and then my nephew's going to think I'm the man. And not just 'cause I carry a gun."

"Uh-huh. You just keep telling yourself that."

He watched her for a moment as she went back to looking through his music collection, and couldn't help smiling. "I like this – knowin' all our stuff's goin' to be in one place."

She smiled. "Me, too." Noelle got up and sat down next to Don on the couch, curling into his side when he put his arm around her. "In just under two weeks, we'll be married and on our way to…Okay, look, I appreciate you planning the honeymoon, but don't you think you should tell me where we're going? How else am I going to know what to pack?"

"It'll be warmer than here."

"So, someplace tropical?"

"Someplace warm," he re-iterated with amusement.

When she went to ask another question, he cut her off with a kiss. "You fight dirty," she accused him. But she decided to fight fire with fire. She leaned up and kissed him gently. "Maybe I could convince you …"

"Trying to bribe an officer of the law is a felony, sweetheart," he teased.

"Well, if I can't bribe you with sexual favours, let's see how well you do when I start withholding them."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. _That's_ fightin' dirty."

She smiled wickedly. "Give up the location and maybe I'll give up some other things."

"You really wanna know? You don't want to be surprised?"

"I don't like surprises. You know that. So, tell me."

"Well, what do you know so far?"

She furrowed her brow. "You're the detective here. Why am I doing all the work?"

He laughed at her impatience.

"Okay, fine. Uh, someplace warm. But not necessarily tropical. Well, it's winter, so it's got to be somewhere south. Or maybe west? C'mon, a hint?"

"You'll need to bring your passport."

"Don, really, I –"

"And some shekels."

"Shekels. Are you serious? We're going to _Israel_?" Her eyebrows rose. "Seriously?"

"You said you wanted to go back, and when you talk about it – I just – It's been a crazy year, right? And you said you'd never felt quite as at peace at you did when you were there. I want to share that with you."

"Wow. Really? But Donnie, it's so expensive to fly there and –"

He reached over and placed a finger over her lips. "We're good. With the money we saved on having the wedding at the castle…"

"Yeah, speaking of that, are you ever going to tell me how Danny was able to get us that place so cheap?"

"You know, I don't really know the specifics," he replied evasively. "But the honeymoon, you're okay with it?"

"Are you kidding? Of course, I'm okay with it! I don't know many people who would pick Israel as their honeymoon destination, but it's my favourite place in the whole world, and I can't wait to show it to you." She kissed him deeply.

"This mean you're reinstating the sexual favours?"

"Oh, I think we can work something out."

They were making out, hot and heavy, on the couch when there was a knock on the front door.

Don groaned, moving out from under his fiancée and crossing the living room. He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Noelle was put back together, then he opened his front door to find Danny in front of him, Matteo in his arms. "Hey, what's up?"

Danny walked inside, surprised to find Noelle there. "Oh, hey, Hansen. I see ya made it through last night unscathed," he teased her.

She nodded as she got up and walked over. "I did. But you left my man here in pretty rough shape. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"That my job here is done?"

Noelle shook her head with a laugh. "Right. Just make sure he doesn't show up hung over on the twenty-eighth, or we'll have a problem."

Danny looked at Don. "She's serious, isn't she?"

"Oh yeah," Flack agreed.

"C'mere, Matteo," she said, taking the infant from his father and rolling her eyes at both men. "You don't have many spots either, do ya, buddy? No. Linds said Olivia got it worse?"

"Yeah, but she still doesn't have it that bad, either. At least it's one less thing for us to worry about later on."

Noelle nodded in agreement. "Oh, he feels a little wet. Here, give me the bag and I'll go change him."

Danny handed over the diaper bag and watched as she disappeared down the hall with his son before looking back at his best friend. "Hey, sorry, if I'd known she was gonna be here I woulda waited 'til tomorrow to bring this by."

As Messer pulled out a ring box from his jacket pocket, Don grinned. "You got it already?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, Marcos put a rush on it."

Don glanced down the hall to make sure Noelle wasn't anywhere in his line of sight. Confident she was busy at work changing the baby in his bedroom, he opened the box and pulled out her wedding ring. He turned it around until he could read the inscription. "Ah, man, it's perfect. Thanks."

"No problem."

Flack carefully put the ring back in the box and quickly moved to the closet and put it into the pocket of his overcoat.

"Wednesday still good to move all these boxes over to Hansen's?"

"Yeah, that's great. Thanks, man. Oh, and listen, she's kinda been asking questions about the castle, so, you know –"

"Hey, no worries. Only me, Linds and Sheldon know and none of us are about to tell her about the murder."

"Good, 'cause the way things are going, if one more thing happens, or if she finds out that Webber Castle was the scene of a homicide, she might just call everything off. And I don't want anything to get in the way of me marrying her on the twenty-eighth."

The guys were chatting about the Knicks when Noelle emerged a couple of minutes later with Matteo, all changed and redressed She was giggling with the little boy, as relaxed as Don had seen her the past few weeks. He gave his best friend a warning look, at which Danny just nodded.

"Here you go," Noelle announced with a smile, kissing Matteo's cheek. "All better, right little one? You look just like you're daddy, don't you?"

Danny grinned. "Better believe it." He took his son from Noelle and bounced him up and down a couple times, getting the boy to laugh. "Okay, buddy, let's get home and see how your little sister's doin'. We'll see ya later, guys."

"Take it easy, man," Don offered, seeing them out into the hallway. Closing the door behind them, he turned back to his fiancée.

"So, what was Danny doing here anyway?" Noelle inquired curiously.

"Oh, he, uh – He was just dropping something off," Don replied cryptically.

"Something?"

He grinned. "Yeah, something. And no more tryin' to bribe me for info. You already got one secret out of me today."

"Fine, don't tell me. You know, I have some secrets and surprises of my own."

"Oh, really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"But in the meantime, I've got to go pick up Katie, and you have to stop by the bakery and drop off the cheque before you go to work, so I'll see you later." She grabbed her coat off the rack and slid it on, then pulled on her boots.

"Wait, you're leaving? We were just startin' something before Messer showed up and I thought we could —"

"You thought I was going to forego Rinaldi's chocolate truffle cake on my wedding day for sex? Even really _great_ sex? I don't think so."

He smirked. "Nice save there, Hansen." He walked over and leaned down to kiss her goodbye. "You just remember, that cake can't keep you warm at night. Although, I guess I haven't been 'round much lately to do that for ya, either."

"Hey, I'm happy to share you with this fair city of ours because I know that in the end, I'll always be the one you come home to. And in eleven days, I get you all to myself for nearly two weeks."

"You sure you'll be able to take me 24/7 for that long?"

"It's going to be a challenge, but the way I see it, marrying you is the only way I'm going to get that chocolate truffle cake, so you know, you do what you gotta do."

"Shoulda known. You're marrying me for the cake."

"That and your devastating good looks."

"Well, at least you didn't say it was my money, 'cause with my city salary, I'd have to sorely disappoint you."

"Which brings me back again to ask just how are we getting married in a castle?"

"I, uh – You know, I think Danny just called in a favour. I mean, he's got tons of connections."

"We should ask him 'cause at the very least, we owe someone an expensive bottle of wine or something."

"You know, let's get through the wedding and enjoy our trip to Israel, then we can figure all that stuff out," Don suggested, hoping he could at least put her off until after they were married. She probably would not freak out about the castle being the site of a crime if the wedding was behind them.

She eyed him a little suspiciously. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Nothin'."

"Uh-huh. Right."

"Don't you have to go pick up Katie?"

Noelle rolled her eyes. "You know, after all your years studying liars, you'd think you'd be better at it."

"Noli, really, I promise, everything's completely above-board."

She studied him for a moment before finally relenting. "All right. You're right, I have to go get Katie. Call us later?"

"You bet." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Left alone in his apartment, Don looked around the boxes scattered throughout the living room, the bare walls, the signs that nobody really lived there anymore and soon would not at all. And instead of his chest constricting like he expected it would from panic that he was actually about to get married, he was breathing just fine.


	29. Best Ever

**A/N **First, thank you to all of you faithful readers for your ongoing support. ImaSupernaturalCSI, mablereid, Aphina, marialisa, Forest Angel, twinkeyrocks, kris358, MustangAlley, Madison Bellows, you guys are the best! And to the lurkers out there, I hope you continue to enjoy. There is much more to come!

This chapter is pretty much fluff. I'm anxious to move on to the wedding, but I did not want to skip over Don and Noelle's first Christmas together. It's also not completely pointless fluff. There is also a bit of foreshadowing here. Enjoy!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"You think you'll get called out tonight?" Noelle asked as she sat back in Flack's arms, both of them curled up on the living room couch as carols softly played on the stereo and candles burned on the coffee table.

It was Christmas Eve, just before midnight. They had spent the evening at her parents' with her family, including her aunt and uncle down from Toronto. Tomorrow, they were heading to the Flack house in Queens for dinner with the entire clan. In the meantime, Don was on call through the night and due in from six-to-four, a sacrifice made so he could have the time off for the wedding and honeymoon. Don was a little upset he would be missing Christmas morning with Katie, but he comforted himself knowing that at eighteen months, she really did not get what it was all about yet anyway.

"Hard to say," he replied, absented mindedly stroking her hair. "But I got the Chief breathin' down my neck to make an arrest on the case I've been workin' and we got nothin' except for more violence on the streets than I've seen in years."

Noelle furrowed her brow. She pulled his arm around her, intertwining their fingers. "Sorry, sweetie. I know you were hoping to have it wrapped up before we left."

"Yeah, well, it's pissing me off when I got five guys dead, I have a pretty good idea who's behind it, and I got no way to prove it."

"Uncle Mike said something about some meeting between McGuinty and Toronto's mayor and Crenshaw and Morton in the New Year?"

"Yeah, I've heard rumblings about it. Last thing this city needs. Another damn task force. Politicians and glorified administrators sitting around a table coming up with solutions to the drug and weapons network when they haven't worked the streets in decades – if ever – and have no idea how things work," he complained. He shook his head. "You know, I don't want to spend our first Christmas together talking about this. This could be the last chance we have to be alone together until we leave for Israel and I don't want to think about work."

She glanced over her shoulder and caught the look in his eyes. With a smile, she turned and leaned up to meet his kiss, losing herself in him for what felt like a happy eternity. When the need for oxygen took precedence over the pleasure of the kiss, she pulled back, her fingers fidgeting with the silver chain around his neck. "You could get called out right now and it would still already be the best Christmas ever."

He nodded.

"You know, we could've gone to midnight mass if you'd really wanted."

"Nah, I'd rather just stay here with you tonight. Who knows when we're going to have any time alone again before the wedding," he replied. "Besides, I know about your aversion to mass."

"Hey, I don't dislike mass. I just…" She furrowed her brow. "Your mother thinks I'm part heathen, doesn't she?"

"Ma loves you. Although I did hear her refer to you once as that lovely _Protestant_ girl, as if it was important to point that part out."

She laughed. "Yeah, well, I think her son's pretty cool for a _Catholic_ boy," she teased him. She kissed him, turning around so she was straddling his lap. "How 'bout I give you a reason to go to confession?"

"You talkin' about all those impure thoughts I have about you?" He captured her lips in a searing kiss, his hands moving through her hair.

Don's phone, sitting on the coffee table, started buzzing. He groaned as Noelle pulled away. "Guess it was too much to hope we'd get the night," she sighed.

He picked up the offensive piece of the electronic equipment and clicked to read the text message. "Christ. Homicide at Rockefeller Center. You gotta be kiddin' me." He looked at his fiancé apologetically. "I'm sorry, doll."

"It's okay. Go on, go get ready."

He kissed her forehead gently, then got up and headed into the bedroom to change. Once in his suit, he snuck into Katie's room to check on her. Instead of being sound asleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in her head, the little girl was wide awake and chatting quietly to her teddy bear. "Hey, what are you doin' up, cutie? You waitin' for Rudolph to come flyin' by the window?"

She giggled.

"C'mere." He picked her up and settled her on his hip. "I'm sorry I'm not gonna be here in the morning. But I told Santa that you've been really good this year and I'm pretty sure there's gonna be some cool stuff under the tree for ya."

"Story!" she requested.

"You've already had a whole whack of stories, sweetheart. You're gonna be a writer one day, aren't ya, kid? But none of that dramatic New Yorker angst and cynicism, all right? I want fairy tales and action and adventure from you. You know, you're the reason I do what I do, Katie. I want this city to be safe for you, because I want you to be able to do whatever you want to do and not have to ever be afraid." He placed a kiss against her hair. "I love you so much. And if I thought you could take a thirteen hour flight after just getting over the chicken pox, Mommy and I would be taking you across the world with us. But you know what's really cool? When we get back, we're gonna file those papers and we're gonna make our family official."

"Dada."

He grinned. "Better believe it, cutie."

Katie giggled, snuggling close.

He hugged her, then realizing she wasn't going to let him put her back down, he carried her out with him into the living room. He found Noelle humming along as Bing Crosby sang "White Christmas" in all of his 1942 black and white glory as _Holiday Inn_ played on the TV. "Look who's up," Don announced.

Noelle smiled, taking her daughter from him. "You are just like your mommy, aren't you? My little insomniac." She smoothed her daughter's hair as she cuddled her in her arms. She glanced up at Don. "Don't you worry about leaving us. _Going My Way_ is on after this."

"I always get that one confused with _The_ _Bells of St Mary's."_

"Me, too. But it doesn't matter. _Miracle on 34__th__ Street _is still the best Christmas movie."

Don raised his eyebrows. "No way. _It's a Wonderful Life_ is the best, doll."

"If you want to watch Jimmy Stewart, get _Harvey_ or _Mr. Smith Goes to Washington_. But _It's a Wonderful Life_? What's so wonderful? George Bailey spends most of the movie suicidal. What's festive about that?"

He just shook his head with a laugh. "Did you ever see that movie when you were a kid with the chick from M.A.S.H. where she's a Sunday School teacher or something and –"

"_The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!_" Noelle exclaimed. "I _loved_ that movie! What was the kid's name? Emily? Izzie?"

"Imogene?"

"Yeah, Imogene. Okay, now _that_ was such a good movie. We have to try and find a DVD copy somewhere so we can show it to Katie. Right, sweetheart? You're going to turn into a fountain of useless pop culture trivia just like your mommy."

"And the rest of us," Don joked. "Messer and Monroe have had a two-year feud about which is the best fictional car."

"Ah, that's easy: K.I.T.T."

"What?" he said incredulously. "Sweetheart, it's obviously the De Lorean from _Back to the Future_."

"Uh, no, 'cause K.I.T.T. talked."

"The De Lorean traveled through time."

"Yeah, when it could find a stretch of road that would let it get up to eight-eight miles an hour. Like that would ever happen in the city." She looked at her daughter who seemed quite amused by the sparring. "Don't listen to your daddy, sweetheart."

"You obviously got into your brother's spiked punch."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, yeah, don't think I didn't notice that."

She laughed. "It's a tradition. You'd think Mom and Dad would have caught on by now."

"I'm crazy in love with you, you know that?"

"Good, 'cause the feeling's pretty mutual."

He sighed. "I gotta go." He leaned down and kissed Noelle's lips gently before placing a kiss on Katie's cheek. "Merry Christmas."

Noelle smiled. "Merry Christmas." She rocked her daughter gently, kissing the top of her head before glancing back up at her fiancé. "Definitely the best one ever."


	30. Drivin' to Jersey

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Say the word and I'll break ya out of here and drive ya to Jersey."

Noelle jumped slightly as Mark stepped up beside her. She laughed softly at her nerves and at the offer. "Hey."

"What are you doing wanderin' the halls? Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing whatever it is you girls do to get ready for things like this?"

"I just needed a minute." She returned to glancing out the window on the snow-covered grounds, pulling the cream-coloured robe she was wearing tighter around her petite frame.

"You okay? You're not nervous, are ya?"

She looked at him then, dressed except for his jacket and tie. "No, not nervous. Eerily calm, actually. The last few weeks I've been having these crazy panic attacks, freaking out at every little thing. But right now, I don't feel like running away or hyperventilating – and _that's _freaking me out a little."

Mark smirked. "That's a good thing, Noli. Mean you know this is right."

She smiled. "I knew that the first night Don and I met." She sat down on the window seat in the alcove on the third floor of Webber Castle and hugged her knees up to her chest. "I remember Mom and Dad bringing us here when we were kids. Never thought I'd end up getting married here."

"I think they took us to every castle, fort and historic site between here and Florida." Mark sat down next to her, laughing softly. "I remember we used to roll our eyes at it, but now I'm makin' lists of all the places I want Erin to see."

"I know. Me, too. When did we grow up, M?"

"It's crazy, huh? I don't know, sis, but now we've both got kids of our own now, and in a couple hours, you'll be somebody's wife …Mom and Dad did their thing, I guess it's time to do ours."

"I really thought this was never going to happen."

"But it did. Look at this life you've made for yourself. You are such an amazing mom. And I know you and Don are going to be really happy together. You should be really proud. I know I am."

She leaned over and hugged Mark tightly. "Thanks for always being such a great big brother."

"You know I'll always do anything for you. I love you, kiddo."

"I love you, too."

"Mama! Mama!"

Noelle glanced up and laughed as her daughter ran towards her, all ready in her frilly, white dress. "Wow! Don't you look pretty, sweetheart!" As Katie reached her, she scooped her up in her arms. "My beautiful little girl."

Katie giggled, her little fingers playing with the frills on the skirt of her dress.

"See ya down that aisle, No," Mark said, leaning over and kissing his sister's cheek. He tweaked his niece's nose, then got up and headed back down the hall towards the wing where the guys were getting ready.

Noelle rocked her daughter in her arms for a minute. "Ah, little one, your mommy is so happy today. You know why? 'Cause I have you, and in an hour or so, your daddy and I are getting married."

"Dada!"

"That's right, sweetie. Your daddy is the best thing that ever happened to us, isn't he? We are so lucky to have him." Noelle kissed her daughter's cheek, then stood up with her in her arms. "C'mon, baby. Mommy has a big dress to get into and you, my love, need to wear off some of this energy before the ceremony."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Did you, uh – Did you find Noli?" Don asked Mark a little anxiously as Noelle's brother returned to the suite in the west wing where the groomsmen were all gathered.

"Yeah. Offered to take her to Jersey."

"_What?_"

Mark laughed, glancing at Danny. "Pour faster, Messer. My future brother-in-law definitely needs a drink."

"I'm on it," Danny replied, pouring whiskey into four shot glasses. He handed one to Don's brother Will, then gave a glass each to Mark and Don. "So, a toast. To Flack and Hansen. A life long and full of happiness. Salùt!"

"Cheers!" Will and Mark exclaimed.

Don knocked the whiskey back, then set the glass down and rubbed his hands together a little nervously. He glanced at his watch, running a hand through his hair. "Dan, what time you got? This thing's not working."

"Uh, you've still got forty-five minutes there, man."

Don furrowed his brow. "Christ."

Danny glanced at Mark and Will before looking back at his best friend. "Maybe we should be offerin' to take _you_ to Jersey."

"I don't want to go to Jersey or any other place you goons suggest. I just want to get married already. What the hell were we thinking? A freakin' evening ceremony," he muttered.

"Here, I think you need a refill," Danny kidded, taking his glass and filling it back up with another shot. "Hansen threatened me if you showed up hung over. She didn't say anything about a little blitzed."

"I'm not sure I'd risk it if I were you, Danny," Mark warned. "You obviously haven't seen my sister all pissed off."

"It ain't pretty," Don agreed, declining the second shot. "Well, actually, she _is_ kinda hot when she –"

"All right, too much info, Don. The operative word there was sister," Mark cut in.

"You got the ring, right, Dan?" Flack asked then.

"Yeah, yeah, right here," Danny assured him, tapping the breast pocket of his uniform. "Everything's cool, man. In less than an hour, you'll be –"

"Dada! Dada! Dada!"

"Katie, get back here!" the men heard Don's sister, Laura, call out in the corridor.

Don raised his eyebrows and headed for the door. He stepped out in the hall just in time for Katie to reach him, Laura not far behind, Katie's shoes in her hand. "Hey, cutie, where do you think you're going?" he asked, picking her up in his arms.

"Dada. Pwetty."

"Well, _you_ are definitely pretty, sweetheart. That's quite the dress you got on there, huh?"

"Sorry, Don. I went to put her shoes on and she took off," Laura explained.

"That's okay. This is just what the doctor ordered, isn't it, cutie? You knew that I needed a hug from my favourite baby girl, didn't ya?"

Katie giggled, hugging Don tightly around the neck.

He glanced over at his sister with a grin. "Lookin' good, sis," he complimented of her strapless, crimson bridesmaid's gown. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a loose updo, her eyes, the exact same shade as his, accented by the make-up she'd had applied. Whereas Elizabeth and Will took after their mother, with hazel eyes and lighter hair, Don and Laura were both spitting images of Jump. And being five years younger than Don, the relationship they shared was reminiscent of Mark and Noelle's.

"You don't look so bad there yourself, Donnie. You clean up pretty good," Laura replied with a wink. "You want a minute with Katie?"

"Yeah, please. I'll have Will or Mark bring her back."

She nodded with a smile. Her big brother had always been great with his nieces and nephews, but it still surprised her to see him with Katie, how naturally he had taken to the role of father. She walked over and kissed his cheek. "Be happy, big brother."

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem."

She handed him Katie's shoes. "Maybe you'll have better luck." She touched his arm lightly, then headed off back down the hall.

"So, were you lookin' for me, cutie, or did you just not want to put your shoes on?" he teased the eighteen month old.

Katie buried her face in the crook of his neck, giggling again.

"C'mere, sweetheart. Let's see if we can get these on, huh?" He carried her over to a wooden bench set outside the suite and sat down with her on his lap. He set one shoe down beside them, then took the other and slid it onto her foot. With his arms around her, he fumbled with the buckle on the shiny, white shoe as she squirmed a little.

"No!" she exclaimed defiantly.

"You need to wear your shoes, Katie. See how pretty they are? They have a red flower, just like the bow on your dress, right?"

She relented and reluctantly let him put both of her shoes on, her fingers finding the frills on her dress again and pulling on them.

"There. See? Now you look extra beautiful."

She turned and reached up, putting a small hand on either side of his face with a smile. "Mama pwetty too."

"Yeah, I bet she's beautiful," he said wistfully. He kissed Katie's forehead.

The two sat there together for a few minutes, Don regaling the little girl with a fairy tale of a hero and his heroine. He stopped in mid-tale, glancing up at the sound of approaching footsteps. He smiled as Noelle's father neared.

"There's the wayward flower girl," Jack laughed. "Ah, but she has shoes now!"

"That she does," Don replied.

"Noelle's just about ready."

"Then I guess I should finish getting ready myself." He set Katie down on the ground then crouched down in front of her. "Will you do me a favour, cutie? Will you go give your mommy a big hug from me? But I want one first."

Katie obliged and let him hug her tightly.

"Okay. You go with your Grampa Jack. And I'll see ya soon, okay?"

"'kay, Dada." She took her grandfather's outstretched hand.

Don straightened up and looked at Noelle's father. "I, uh – I guess I'll see ya down there."

Jack nodded. "You know, I've never seen my daughter quite so happy before."

"Well, it goes both ways, sir. And I intend to keep her that way."

"I know you do. That's why I have no reservations about walking her down that aisle." He looked down at his granddaughter. "What do you say we go give your mother that hug?"

She grinned at both men then happily let her grandfather lead her back to the bridal suite.

Don took a deep breath, then turned and walked back into the suite to re-join the guys. "All right, men, let's get me married!"

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"That tight enough?" Jen asked as she pulled on the ties of the corset back on Noelle's dress.

"Yes. No. Well, maybe just a little bit tighter. It would probably be bad if I ended up flashing the NYPD brass," Noelle kidded.

"Or it could be very good for Flack's career," Lindsay countered with a laugh. "Although, I don't think he needs any help there these days."

"I just hope he can let this case go for the next two weeks," Noelle sighed, her breath hitching slightly as Jen finished tying the ribbon in a bow at her waist.

"Don't worry about that. The rumour is that Don's even on the Mayor's radar with the work he's been doing."

"Besides," said Laura, "my brother is all about you and Katie right now."

"There you go," Jen announced.

Noelle slowly turned around to face them all.

Jen, Laura and Lindsay all fought back tears. Noelle's mother, who had managed to keep from crying thus far, lost the battle as a few tears escaped down her face.

"Oh, Mom, don't start, 'cause you know I will."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. You just look so beautiful," Sarah cried.

Her bridesmaids had to agree. The dress was simple, white and strapless, cut straight across the top, the bodice rouching and gathering at her right hip, the skirt a full A-line. Her auburn hair, having grown out nearly to her shoulders, was pulled up on the sides, the rest hanging in waves, a waist-length veil set at the crown of her head. The girls all predicted Don wouldn't know what hit him.

"You decent, chief?" Jack called, rapping lightly on the door to the suite.

"Come on in, Daddy," Noelle replied.

Jack walked inside, his hand still tightly around his granddaughter's. His breath caught as he saw his daughter and he fought back his own tears. "You look absolutely breath-taking."

She smiled. "Thanks, Dad. And you, pretty girl, now have shoes on!"

Katie ran over and flung her arms around her mother's skirt.

"That's from Don," Jack explained of the hug.

Noelle's smile broadened as she reached down and ran a hand through her daughter's hair. "Well, he hasn't run off to Atlantic City, so I guess this is it."

"You ready, chief?"

"I am." She glanced down at Katie. "What do you think, sweetheart? Shall we go get married?"

Katie nodded, tugging on her mother's hand.

"Well, there you have it. Let's go get me married!"

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Last chance to bail," Danny kidded as Don buttoned up the jacket of his dress blues.

"No way, Messer."

"Well, then, I guess it's time. You ready?"

Don took a deep breath, smoothed out his jacket and looked at his best friend with a grin. "More than ready."

"You look disgustingly happy. You got a month, you hear me? After that, if I see that grin that's pretty much makin' my teeth hurt, I walk the other way."

"You're just upset because my mug looks so much prettier than yours with said grin," Flack laughed. "Now, can we get me married already?"

"All right, all right. Let's go."

Will and Mark buttoned up their suit jackets and the four men headed out.

"Dead man walking," Danny muttered under his breath jokingly.

Don's brother and Noelle's both laughed, but Don didn't even hear. He was too focused on what awaited him. He glanced down at his left hand and flexed it a couple times. Soon it would no longer be bare and the only woman he had ever wanted to marry would be his wife. Maybe there was justice after all.


	31. The Aisle

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

They say that life is made up of moments. Don and Noelle's wedding ceremony was no exception. There was the moment that Don walked down the aisle in full dress uniform with his father alongside him, and Danny, his best man and closest friend, right behind. The image was striking, three of New York's finest, each having made their own mark on the city they all loved in their own way. Jump took his seat in the front row, Don and Danny taking their places at the front. Soon after, Will escorted his mother to her seat and Mark escorted his own mother to hers before take their places.

There was the moment where Lindsay's eyes met Danny's as she walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet of white roses to compliment her crimson dress, the look passing between them speaking undeniable volumes. Even as they approached their second anniversary, he was still amazed that a woman like her had married a man like him, and he sent a silent prayer of thanks to the man upstairs. She flashed him a smile, the man who had fathered her children, who still managed to somehow surprise her every day, no matter how well she thought she knew him.

There was the moment when Katie refused to take a step, hiding her face in her aunt's skirt, even with Jennifer's hand firmly holding onto her much smaller one, the crowd of strangers overwhelming and frightening the child. This led to Don stepping down off the riser and taking a few steps towards her, reaching out his own hand to coax the little girl forward. At that, she had run straight into his waiting arms, refusing to go sit with her grandparents as planned and instead keeping a tight hold on his leg as he re-took his place for the moment he first laid eyes on his bride.

Donald Flack, Jr. was a man's man. He was tall, strong, arrogant at times. He could intimidate even the toughest of criminals. He could look down the barrel of an AK-47 in the a.m., talk down a terrorist in the afternoon, and still have enough valour to run into a building under siege in the evening. But in that moment when he first saw Noelle in her dress, standing at the back on her father's arm, none of that mattered. In that moment, they were the only two people in the world. He was no longer a tough New York City homicide detective. He was quite simply a man who loved a woman.

"_What makes me proud is that you are a man of honour and strength and that you've figured out what's really important in this life. When the time comes and you slip that ring on that girl's finger, you remember that. There is nothing more important than a man's family."_

The words his father had spoken the day he gave him his grandmother's ring resonated in Flack's mind then in the moment that Jack placed Noelle's hand in his. His heart which had been pounding, his body full of more adrenaline that he ever felt during a collar, suddenly calmed

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"

Neither Don nor Noelle heard anything Sgt. St. James said by way of introduction. Their eyes were locked on one another, the grins on their faces daring to cross the line towards goofy. Katie was still attached to Don's leg, looking up at her mother and father with awe and curiosity over what was transpiring.

"…show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

In the silence, Katie looked around, confused as to how it could be so quiet in a room where nearly three hundred people were gathered. "Dada?" she whispered, looking up at Don.

He and Noelle shared a chuckle. "You objecting there, cutie?" he said, loud enough only for the couple and the sergeant to hear.

Katie grinned, seeing that she had made her parents laugh.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Jack and Sarah stood proudly. "We do," they replied in unison.

Katie giggled and waved at her grandparents.

"Shh," Noelle said quietly to her daughter, though the smile on her face took away and hint of chastising.

The sergeant could not quite suppress his own amused smile, but he then looked at Flack. "Donald, do you take Noelle for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall life?"

Don grinned at his bride, the weight of the question not the least bit daunting. "I will."

"Noelle, do you take Donald for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

Noelle nodded with a confident smile. "I will."

Don's sister Elizabeth was invited forward then to read the familiar passage from 1 Corinthians 13: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends …So faith, hope, love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love." She kissed her brother's cheek and lightly touched Noelle's arm, then re-took her seat with her husband and children by her parents.

Noelle handed Jennifer her bouquet of white and red gerbera daisies as Sgt. St. James instructed her and Don to join hands. He looked to Don then and led him through his vows, before leading Noelle through hers. He then asked Danny for the ring, which he then held up in his hand. "May this ring be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end."

Don took the ring and slipped it on Noelle's finger, marveling at just how perfectly it looked there. "With this ring, I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment," he recited, his voice a little hoarse as the emotion started to get to him.

Noelle followed suit, sliding his ring onto his finger, her hands then holding his tightly as she made the same promise.

"May this couple be prepared to continue to give, be able to forgive and experience more and more joy with each passing day, with each passing year. Don and Noelle, are now beginning their married life together, we hope that they may have loving assistance from their family, the constant support of friends, and a long life with good health and everlasting love. In so much as Don and Noelle have consented to live forever together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before those gathered here today, having given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife." The sergeant looked at Don with a smile. "You may now kiss your bride."

"Gladly," Don smirked. He leaned over and met his new wife's lips with a gentle kiss to the sounds of applause and cat calls from their friends and family.

As they broke apart, Don felt a tug on his sleeve. He glanced down to find Katie with her arms outstretched. "Hug too!" she demanded.

Noelle laughed as a tear slid down her cheek and Don happily obliged, picking up his new daughter and hugging her tightly before placing a kiss on her cheek. He pulled his bride close and kissed her forehead.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Donald Flack, Jr.!" Sgt. St. James announced.

Another rousing round of applause filled the conservatory.

Don's and Noelle's parents came up to offer the new couple hugs and congratulations, then with Katie in one arm, Don led his new wife back down the aisle, their wedding party following close behind.

Out in the entranceway, their siblings and best friends showered the newlyweds with hugs and kisses. Katie allowed herself to be handed to her uncle, then Don took Noelle's hand and led her off down the hall and up the stairs so they could have a few minutes alone back in the suite where she had gotten ready.

Inside the room, Don shut the door and quickly pulled his wife into his arms, kissing her passionately, his hands cupping her face to allow him to deepen the kiss. He groaned softly as his arms moved around Noelle. "There's no turning back now," he said when they came up for air.

"You realize that means you're stuck with me for eternity?" she teased him, leaning up and kissing him again. When they parted, she glanced down at her hand, now bearing the simple, white gold wedding band. "It's beautiful."

"Uh, there's – There's an inscription," he said a little sheepishly.

She bit her lip with an excited smile as she slid the ring off her finger and glanced at the inside. Finding the engraving, she held the ring up to read the words. She looked up at her new husband, her eyes glistening with tears. " 'We'll get lost together.' It's perfect."

He kissed her again briefly. "I think I'm gonna like this marriage thing."

She grinned at him. "Me, too. I, uh – I guess we should get to our party, though, huh?"

"We could just skip the reception and sneak off somewhere, start the honeymoon a little early?" he suggested hopefully.

"Nice try. Just because you put the words on my wedding band doesn't mean you get out of dancing to them. C'mon. We've got a ridiculous amount of people downstairs waiting for us."

Hand-in-hand, they made their way down towards the ballroom. The guests had already filed in, and the first course of hors d'oevres and round of cocktails were being served. Their families were milling about out in the long corridor, all laughing and joking around, their mothers reflecting on how beautiful the ceremony was, Katie running around with her cousin and Don's younger nieces and nephews.

"We thought maybe you'd run off to Canada," Danny kidded.

They both blushed slightly but made no apologies for their stolen moment.

Katie ran over. "Mama! Up! Up!"

Noelle happily obliged, picking her daughter up and giving her a big hug. "You were very good, sweetheart! Did you like the wedding?"

Katie nodded excitedly. "'gain!"

Noelle laughed. "How 'bout we go to the party instead? Hear the music? Your daddy's even going to dance with Mommy."

"Yeah, doll, about that –"

"Don't even think about it. I'm getting my first dance and I'm getting my piece of chocolate truffle cake. Those are my only demands."

Danny clapped his best friend on the back. "Welcome to married life, my friend," he kidded Don.

"You guys ready to go in?" Will asked then. "The D.J.'s all set."

Don and Noelle glanced at one another. Don sighed. "All right, all right. Let's go get this dancing thing over with."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, sweetheart. I feel really special," she deadpanned.

"Can't we just dance in our living room? The thought of three hundred pairs of eyes…"

"They've been knocking back free alcohol for the past half hour. None of them are going to care," Noelle replied jokingly. She looked at her daughter. "Will you go with Gramma and Grampa for a few minutes?"

"'k, Mama."

Noelle kissed her cheek, then handed her off to her mother.

Their families and the bridal party slipped into the ballroom, and Will queued the D.J. The music that had been playing stopped.

Don took his bride's hand, and once they were announced, he led her to the middle of the dance floor. The strains of Michael Bublé's "Lost" filled the ballroom, and Don forgot about all the people watching them as he took Noelle in his arms and danced with her. For the next three minutes, they managed to literally get lost in one another.

Noelle had wanted little formality to the evening. So, with no receiving line, once the song ended they were soon overtaken with well wishers, hugs and congratulations all around. Someone handed her a glass of champagne while Don received handshakes from some of his academy buddies.

Rick Caffey shook his head incredulously. "Don Flack, married! Never thought I'd see the day! And leave if to the homicide detective to get married at the scene of a homicide."

Don's breath hitched as he heard the sound of breaking glass. He slowly glanced from the shattered champagne flute on the ground up to the hand that had dropped it, on up to meet the horrified gaze of his new wife.


	32. Monopoly

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Katie tugged on Rick's sleeve. "Where Wocco?" she asked.

Before Caffey could respond, a little stunned after watching Don spirit his wife out of the ballroom, Danny reached down and ruffled the little girl's hair. "Rocco's probably right where your pop is about now, Katie – in the dog house," Messer muttered.

She looked up at Danny in confusion then just furrowed her brow.

Up two storeys, Don shut the door to the bridal suite to give him and Noelle some privacy, as she took to glaring at him incredulously. "A _murder_? There was a murder here?"

"Listen, sweetheart – "

"Are you kidding me? What, was it Mrs. White in the conservatory with the lead pipe?" she cut in sardonically.

Don looked at her blankly.

"Oh, come on! You're a detective and you didn't get the Clue reference?"

"Why do people always sound so surprised about that? Next you're going to be asking if the butler did it," Don replied.

She was about to yell something more, but as his comment sunk in, she stopped herself and found that she was laughing instead.

He flashed her a sheepish grin then, relieved to see her softening.

"Oh, God. Seriously, Don, a homicide? What the hell?"

"If it's any consolation, it wasn't inside here – it was out on the grounds somewhere," he explained. He walked over to her. "Look, Danny suggested the place, I looked at the pictures…I mean, c'mon it's a freakin' castle!"

"Yeah, where someone was _killed_!"

"It's New York City, doll. Find me a place where someone _hasn't_ died," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "Tell me you guys at least caught the guy."

"Yeah, yeah, it was an open and shut case. I actually had nothing to do with it. Dan, Linds and Hawkes were on it with Angell. They wrapped it up quickly and quietly, and the owners were so grateful they simply offered a favour in return."

Realization crossed her face.

He dipped his head slightly to catch her gaze. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I know you. You woulda said no. Especially after Katie got sick and I saw your dress…You were lookin' for signs, sweetheart, and I just didn't want you to think you'd found any. Call it self-interest, 'cause I just wanted to marry you. And I wanted to give you the kind of wedding you'd dreamed about." He flashed her a hint of a dimpled smile. "C'mon. Tell me this hasn't been perfect."

In spite of herself, she returned his smile.

"Noelle, everything went off without a hitch. Nothing bad –"

She reached up quickly and put her hand over his mouth. "Don't say it. You'll jinx it."

He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "We're already married. Nothin' else matters."

"You still should have told me," she chastised him, though there was no anger left in her tone.

"Agreed. I am sorry."

"Apology accepted. But to make it up to me, you have to dance with me again," she teased.

He offered a lop-sided grin. "Doll, you really need to learn how to negotiate. I woulda danced with you anyway." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I love you, too." She leaned up and met his kiss, allowing herself to get lost in him for a moment before finally convincing him that they should really return to their own reception.

Back down in the ballroom, they greeted and mingled with their guests. Noelle's father then stole her away for a dance while Don dutifully chatted up the brass.

So, the music played on, the drinks flowed freely and the food was plentiful. Noelle danced with her uncle, brother and Jump while Don made the rounds, Katie soon attached to his hip and demanding his attention.

"You having fun, cutie?" he asked his daughter while they watched Noelle on the dance floor, now with Mac.

Katie nodded excitedly, awed by all of the activity.

He kissed her cheek.

"You look very beautiful tonight, kiddo," Stella complimented the little girl with a smile as she joined the two at the edge of the dance floor.

Katie grinned proudly and Don just laughed. "Hey, Stel," he greeted.

"I'm really happy for you, Don," she said honestly. "I'm glad the two of you found each other."

"Thanks."

"But I gotta tell ya, this, you as a father? Never thought I'd see it," she teased him gently.

He laughed softly. "I'm not sure I did, either. But I wouldn't trade it for anything." He hugged Katie against him as, with a yawn, she laid her head on his shoulder. "You know, you look pretty damn beautiful tonight yourself. How come you didn't bring someone with you?"

"You know me. I'm not one to bring someone along just for the hell of it."

He glanced towards his wife on the dance floor with Mac before looking back at Stella. "Well, take it from me. You never know how things may turn out, Stel. Sometimes, when you're not looking, things just happen."

Across the dance floor, Mac twirled Noelle around to the strains of Sinatra.

"You know, I owe you a debt of gratitude," Noelle said to the CSI.

"For what?" Taylor asked curiously.

"For saving Don's life after that explosion. He talks about it all the time, how he wouldn't have survived if you hadn't been there."

He shook his head modestly. "If there was any debt, it has been paid back many times over. Don has had the backs of me and my team members on many occasions," he replied.

"That doesn't mean I can't be grateful, Mac. If he hadn't made it out of there, he wouldn't have come into my life. And I am so much better for having him in it," Noelle explained.

Mac smiled at that. "I'm glad that you and Don found one another. And take it from someone who knows – never take what you have for granted."

The song ended and Mac accompanied Noelle off the dance floor to rejoin her husband, who was still speaking with Stella. As they neared the homicide detective and the CSI, Noelle glanced at Mac, biting her lip when she noticed him looking admirably at the female detective. "Stella looks lovely tonight, doesn't she?" Noelle commented.

"Yes, she does," Mac said a little wistfully.

"You know, you should ask her to dance. God knows Don won't. I practically had to bribe him to dance with _me_ at our own wedding!" she added lightly, hoping she did not sound too pushy. Reaching them, she kissed Don's cheek before running a hand through Katie's hair. "You getting sleepy, sweetheart?"

Katie shook her head unconvincingly, her eyes starting to droop a little.

"Smooth moves out there, Mac," Don kidded the older detective.

"Ah, your wife just made me look good," Taylor replied. He looked at his partner then. "Stella, would you like to dance?"

"Sure, I'd love to," she agreed, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

Don shook his head at his wife.

"What?" Noelle asked innocently.

"Nothing." He kissed her temple.

Across the dance floor, Danny held his wife close, nodding towards Mac and Stella. "Hansen's good, I'll give her that."

Lindsay laughed softly. "It's just a dance, Danny."

"You gotta start somewhere. 's all I'm sayin'." He pulled her a little closer. "Have I told you how hot you look tonight?"

"Keep that up, and you just might get lucky, Messer."

He grinned.

"Don and Noelle look really happy, don't they?" Lindsay commented a couple minutes later.

Danny nodded. He glanced over at his friends who were laughing with Katie about something. "Ah, screw this no formality crap," he muttered as he stopped dancing.

"Danny, what are you doing?"

"Just trust me." He kissed her cheek then headed across the floor and up onto the D.J.'s platform, snagging a glass of champagne from a waiter on en route.

After exchanging a few words with the CSI, the D.J. cut the music and handed him a mic.

"Ah, everyone, sorry for the interruption," Danny started once he had the attention of the guests. He looked over at Don and Noelle. Fortunately, neither of them looked upset – she more amused than anything else, anticipating something entertaining, while Don just looked a little worried. "Hansen and Flack said no speeches or toasts, but we all know I ain't always the best at following the rules. And Mac, Chief, tomorrow, you'll both forget I said that, right?"

The crowd all laughed and Don rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"So, Don, man, we've been through a lot, huh? You had my back through some crazy stuff. You stood up wit' me when Lindsay and I got married, calmed me down when I was freakin' out at the thought of havin' twins, you were there when my kids were born…And now you got a wife and a kid of your own." He shook his head a little incredulously. "We were both already out of the Academy when we first met, but it feels like we've grown up together. You're my best friend, man. And I hope you know how much I value that.

"And Hansen, what can I say? I knew two seconds in that Flack was a goner, and after meetin' ya, it wasn't hard to see why. You and Katie have not only brought good things to Don's life, but the rest of us who have got to know you since you two got together are the better for it. So, you guys can kill me for gettin' up here and breakin' your rules, but I didn't think it was right that you leave here tonight without us raisin' a glass to the two of you and wishin' you all the best that life has to offer. So, to Don and Noelle! Salut!"

Everyone who had drinks in their hands raised them in a toast.

The newlyweds were touched by Danny's words, and crossed the floor to meet him as he stepped down off the D.J.'s platform. Noelle hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"You guys just keep takin' care 'a each other the way you have," Danny replied.

Still holding onto Katie with one arm, Don shook his best friend's hand. "You know that all goes both ways, right? Thanks, man."

Danny just nodded. He reached up and touched Katie's cheek. "You're a pretty lucky kid, no?"

"Story! 'gain!" the little girl requested happily.

They all chuckled.

As Ronan Keating's "When You Say Nothing at All" started playing, Don looked at his best friend. "You mind watchin' Katie for a sec? I'd like to dance with my wife."

"Not a problem. Hey, sweetheart, you wanna go see the horses?"

Katie's eyes widened at the prospect.

"Danny it's cold out," Noelle pointed out.

"You didn't see the tunnels? This place is full of secret passageways. It's actually really cool. C'mon, kid. Let's go get Montana and take a field trip." Danny took Katie from her father then went in search of his wife, leaving the newlyweds to their dance.

On the floor, Don held his wife close in his arms. "So, Mrs. Flack…"

Noelle grinned at the salutation. "I like how that sounds."

"Me, too." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "So, what do you say? Another forty-five minutes and we check out of here?"

"Hmm. What'd you have in mind for the after party?" she whispered in his ear.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Now that's gonna blow your mind. I know you don't like surprises, but trust me, this is gonna change your mind about that."

She pulled back and looked at him suspiciously. "Don Flack, just what have you done?"


	33. Who Needs Sleep

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Don tipped the bellhop, then shut the door behind him. He turned and, as he laid eyes on his wife, he could not help but grin when he noticed that she was still wandering through the suite in awe. He looked her over, still in her gown, only her veil gone. He could not remember ever seeing a woman look more beautiful. He paused for a brief moment and glanced at the ring now adorning his finger, wondering how he had gotten so lucky to have ended up married to a woman like her.

Noelle stopped her exploration and caught her husband staring at her. She blushed. She should have been used to it by now – the way one corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly, the way his blue-grey eyes darkened a little when he looked at her like that – but his gaze still quickened her heartbeat. "What?"

"You are so damn beautiful, you know that?"

She lowered her eyes, the blush in her cheeks deepening.

He smirked. He eased off the jacket of his uniform and laid it over the back of one of the armchairs in the sitting room. "But I'm thinking we should have changed back at the castle where Jen could've helped you with that, 'cause I ain't got any idea how I'm supposed to get you out of it," he commented, looking her dress over.

At that, she laughed softly. "Trust me, it's not as complicated as it appears." She walked over then turned around so her back was to him. "Just untie the knot then unthread the ribbons through the loops. Oh, and for a little added incentive, I'm pretty much naked underneath."

Don's breath hitched. "Christ." He reached over and started to untie the corset back on her dress. As he did, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her bare shoulder, then her neck, her cheek.

"Focus," she teased him when his hands stilled.

"Trust me, doll, I'm completely focused," he said, clearing his throat when his voice came out a little gravelly.

She bit her lip. "Do I want to know how we ended up in a suite at the Plaza?" she asked when his fingers resumed their task.

"You can't get married in a castle than spend the night at the nearest Super 8."

"Don, it was just a dream."

"Hey, we only get one wedding night, sweetheart. So, for tonight, forget about being practical. Forget I'm a public servant and you're a compliance officer. Go big or go home, right?" He leaned around and kissed her temple then continued to work on the ties of her dress.

"We're going to be broke by the time we get home from Israel," she sighed, though there was not much conviction in her tone as she found herself distracted by the feel of his fingers grazing her bare skin.

"Just relax. The next ten days are ours. No street wars, no chicken pox, no interruptions…"

"You're going to be sick of me after all that," she kidded.

"Not a chance," he assured her, his brows furrowing in concentration as he finally seemed to make some progress with the corset. He groaned slightly when he realized she was in fact practically naked underneath as she was not wearing a bra. "Jesus, Noli. This is payback, isn't it? For orderin' those x-ray specs back in middle school? The one's to see through girls' clothes? 'Cause the nuns would actually condone this now, but it's like gettin' through the gates at Fort Knox."

She giggled softly.

Don finally loosened the ties enough to allow the dress to fall away from her.

She let the gown pool on the floor, leaving her only in her underwear and stockings. She stepped over the dress, then turned to him. "Now, what's wrong with this picture?"

"I am definitely overdressed," he agreed hoarsely.

She moved over to him, reaching up and loosening his tie, her fingers then nimbly unbuttoning his shirt. Once it had joined her dress on the floor, Don easily picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where, after ridding each other of the rest of their clothes, they made love for the first time as husband and wife.

Curled up against him afterwards, Noelle sighed happily as she gazed at her wedding ring for a few minutes, wondering if it was ever going to sink in that she was somebody's _wife_. She glanced up then and noticed Don's eyes were closed. She placed a feather-light kiss on his chest, then went to slip out of bed.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" he asked, startling her as his arm tightened around her and he opened his eyes.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Just resting my eyes."

"Well, there's no way I can sleep with all these pins in my hair. I'm going to go take them out then hop in the shower."

"I'll help you." He sat up beside her, kissing her shoulder before he started helping her pull the bobby pins from her hair. Occasionally, he got distracted, his lips finding the back of her neck or an earlobe, his hands traveling before she would playfully swat them away.

"I think that's it," she said as she set the last pin on the night table. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm just going to go wash my hair. Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Too wired for sleep. How 'bout I come with?" he suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

"You come with me and I'll still have half a bottle of hairspray in my hair 'cause you'll make me forget why I was there in the first place. I won't be long." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then slid out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom that seemed to have the same square footage as half of her apartment.

Don laid back down, the unfamiliar weight of the ring on his finger causing him to flex his hand. He pulled the ring off and held it up in front of him, marveling at its significance. He was married, somebody's husband. And now also somebody's father. His life had done a complete one-eighty all because some chick in a bar had caught his eye.

The last five years of Don's life had been nothing if not eventful. He had watched his mentor go down. He had walked through the assault Stella had suffered at the hands of her own boyfriend then felt the blow of Aiden's death, and before he could really deal with either, he had been caught in the explosion that had nearly taken his own life.

The explosion had changed him. He wondered whether other people around him had noticed it the same way he felt it – that change. Things that had once seemed big suddenly felt small, and things he had never even noticed before suddenly seemed significant.

In the year that followed, he had searched for some meaning behind it all. He had wondered why he had been allowed to live when Aiden had not. And when he turned around and saw his best friends hurting, Danny and Lindsay suddenly on what seemed to be opposite tracks, he had really started to wonder what the point of it all was. Thrown into the mix was the alienation he had felt from his fellow detectives when his own memo book had taken down Truby, and he had come close to the breaking point.

But somehow he had survived. He had been instrumental in the Wilder bust, and he regained the trust and respect of the Homicide Squad. He and Mac mended fences, Danny and Lindsay seemed to finally get it all together…But even still, he felt like something was missing. His brief liaison with Devon had managed to relieve some of the physical frustration, but he knew soon into it that there was no way he was going to find what he was looking for with her. Hell, he had started to wonder if he even knew what he was looking for, and how he would even know if he somehow found it.

Then he had walked into Sullivan's, looking for nothing more than a Guinness and maybe a game of pool that night. The last thing he had been expecting or even wanting had been to meet someone. But there she was. And the cocky, self-assured detective had fallen hard and fallen fast – for a woman with a kid of all things! And now as he gazed at his wedding ring, he wondered if the man he had been five years ago would even recognize the man he had become.

"Having second thoughts already?"

Don escaped the reverie in his mind and looked at his wife as she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in the fluffy, white hotel robe, her auburn hair now hanging in damp waves, her make up gone but her porcelain skin still glowing. She had been the most beautiful bride he had ever seen, but this was how he really loved seeing her – mostly because the woman standing in front of him now was the one that only he got to see. He smirked slightly at her, sliding his ring back on his finger. "You kiddin'? Marrying you was definitely the smartest thing I ever did, doll."

"Good answer." She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "It's like three-thirty in the morning and I'm not even the least bit tired. Is this what you feel like when you're chasing after bad guys? This heart-pounding adrenaline rush?"

He reached over and took her hand. "Chasing down perps has never come close to makin' me feel the way I felt today. Mostly 'cause this has all been freakin' good. I never thought once today I might get shot at," he kidded.

"Don't say things like that," she chastised him. "I like this world of denial I've created for myself – you know, that world where you're invincible."

"Hey, I got too much to come home to now. But you know, I've been thinkin' about _your_ job."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get shot at work, sweetie."

"That's not what I meant. You graduated with a journalism degree, right?"

"Yes."

"So, wouldn't you rather be writing?"

"I kind of like having a roof over my head and being able to feed our daughter."

"In a perfect world –"

"You've completely abandoned all sense of practicality tonight, haven't you?" she teased him. "Who are you and what have you done with Donald Flack?"

"I'm just sayin'."

She shrugged. "Okay, in a perfect world, sure, I'd love to be writing."

"What would you write?"

"I don't know. I have half a novel on my laptop. But as soon as Katie arrived, it kind of got left by the wayside," she explained a little wistfully. "And I used to want to be a crime reporter. How's that for irony?"

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. But I've since heard you rant about 'em, so…"

He laughed softly.

"Honestly, I'd much rather write fiction."

"You should finish your novel. Or write a screenplay. Or submit some stuff to _The_ _New Yorker_. You should be doing what you want to do."

"Where's this coming from?"

"I just – I was thinkin' about when we first met, right? From the very beginning, you've completely supported me bein' a homicide detective. You've never once suggested I work a desk and get out of the field, despite the fact that I know you really hate my job sometimes."

"I don't hate your job. It's your cell phone I dislike sometimes," she corrected with a smile.

"Look, the point is, I get to go to work and do what I love, knowin' that you're behind me. I just want you to know that it works both ways. I know you like what you do well enough, but I also know that you do it 'cause you wanted a kid and you wanted your kid to have a decent life. But see, the thing is, you're not doin' it by yourself anymore. So, if there's somethin' else you'd rather be doing, I'll be behind you."

She took a deep breath, overwhelmed. "I really love you."

"Good, 'cause you ain't gonna ge rid of me."

She leaned over and kissed him gently. "I think I'm going to like this marriage thing."

"It's definitely got it's perks, I'll give ya that," he replied with a grin. His hands moved to the tie on her robe.

"We have a twelve hour flight later tonight," she sighed as his hands began to roam.

"Yeah, I guess we should probably get some sleep."

His hand resting on her thigh, she bit her lip. "Although I'm not really tired…"

"Yeah, me neither." His hand slid a little further up her leg.

"Ah, screw it. It's our wedding night and we're at the freakin' Plaza Hotel! Who needs sleep?" She pulled off the robe and joined him under the covers, laughing as he easily rolled her underneath him and kissed her neck.

"We'll sleep on the plane." He met her lips in a searing kiss.

"You know, I've never had sex on a plane…"

"God, don't start givin' me any dangerous ideas, Mrs. Flack."


	34. Shalom

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Anything interesting in there?" Noelle asked with a quirked eyebrow. Emerging from the hotel room bathroom, she found her husband sprawled out on the king-sized bed, paging through a newspaper. From what she could see, there was no Hebrew to be found, which told her that he had given in during her shower and gone down to get a copy of the _New York Times_ from the concierge.

"Not really," he replied, doing a near double-take when he glanced up and found his wife standing before him naked. He cleared his throat. "Uh, definitely nothing as interesting as what's goin' on in here."

"Uh-uh, don't go getting any ideas. We have a mountain in the desert to climb. And we need to get there before ten."

"You don't want me getting any ideas? Then don't come out here lookin' like that. 'Cause if I got a choice between climbin' Masada and doin' things to you that'll make –"

"You can just stop right there, Detective," she cut in. She quickly disappeared into the bathroom and grabbed the robe from the back of the door, slipping it on before she returned to the bedroom. "Better?"

He furrowed his brow. "No. I liked the _other_ view a hell of a lot better."

She smiled a little shyly. She did not think she would ever get used to the way he looked at her. She wondered if it would still thrill her right down to her toes even after fifty years. "Donnie…"

"I know, I know." He eased himself up off the bed and walked over to her, drawing her into his arms. "For the record, I am grateful to be in this place with you. It's amazing. I mean, we can see the Mount of Olives from here. That's pretty damn cool."

She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him gently. "I'm going to go get dressed, then we can go. We'll need a few bottles of water. Do you want to run down and get some while I finish getting ready?"

"Sure, but – Doll, we're not really going to _climb_ Masada, are we? I mean, there's a tram thing."

"So?"

"So, it's like New York, right? I mean, sure you can drive, but why bother when you've got the subway and cabs at every turn?"

Noelle chuckled in amusement. "It's not like we're going to be mountaineering, sweetie. It's just a forty-five minute hike."

"A _hike_? The trail's called the snake path. It's in the middle of the freakin' desert. There's a cable car, Noli," he continued to argue, his tone nearing the definition of whining.

"You're a New York City police detective. You telling me you're afraid to hike up the face of a little mountain in the Judean desert?"

"First of all, I'm _not_ afraid. Second, thirteen hundred feet is a little mountain in your world? That's it, no more rock climbing wall for you. You've turned into a ringer behind my back."

"Tell ya what, baby: You hike up with me, and you will be richly rewarded."

He smirked. "Keep talkin'…"

"Remember the plane? That was just foreplay." Then, leaving her new husband in a state of shear frustration, Noelle turned and headed back into the bathroom to get dressed.

Left alone for a minute, Don could not deny that their honeymoon had surpassed every expectation he'd had. They had spent a few days relaxing on the Mediterranean between Tel Aviv and Haifa then a day exploring Caesarea before traveling through Nazareth and staying on the Sea of Galilee for a couple days. Don had never even been out of the U.S. and going to a place with so much history was a little overwhelming for the city boy. But nothing had compared to the drive into Jerusalem, his new wife pointing out important sites. Her exuberance had more than rubbed off on him.

Although, hours later, as they returned to the Regency Hotel downtown Jerusalem after their trek up Masada, Don was wondering if he should have just picked a beach resort in the Caribbean. Every muscle in his body ached, some in places where he did not even realize there were muscles. And he knew if Messer ever got wind of this, he would never live it down.

"C'mon, tough guy, let's get you into the shower," Noelle suggested.

"You're enjoying this," he accused her as he flopped down on the bed.

"You better believe it," she smirked. "Whenever we run in Central Park, you've got me beat because you've got half a foot on me. It's nice to come out the winner for once."

"We're in the Holy Land, sweetheart. There are no winners or losers," Don kidded.

"Nice try but we both know you'd be doing a victory lap up around the Old City if you'd won. However, I did promise you a reward. So, how 'bout I scrub your back?" she offered.

"Tempting. But that requires moving."

Noelle walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "What can I do to convince you?"

"You can promise me that we never again have to climb a mountain in a desert for the rest of our married life."

She laughed softly. "All right. You've got yourself a deal." She leaned over and kissed him.

He pulled her down on top of him then, deepening the kiss. They did not make it to the shower right away as the bed seemed like a much better place for him to reap his "rewards." However, after making love to his wife, he realized that hot water was probably his only hope of being able to move in the morning. He left Noelle near-dozing in the comfort of their bed and got up.

En route to the bathroom, a legal-sized notepad on the dresser caught his eye. He walked over and glanced down at the scrawl, clearly his wife's – point-form notes, arrows all over the place, entire blocks of notes scratched out, others circled emphatically. "What's this?" he asked curiously.

Noelle opened her eyes to see what her husband was staring at. Seeing the notepad in his hand, she blushed slightly. "Oh. It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing."

She bit her lip. "Just some ideas I had. An outline for a series of short stories."

Don smiled. "You're writing?"

She shrugged. "I'm _thinking_ about writing. It's your fault, you know. You put the crazy idea in my head."

"It's not crazy, doll."

"Maybe, maybe not. It's just being in this place, being happy. It's been a long time since I've actually felt creative."

"So, go with it." He winked at her, then went to take his shower.

Hearing the water turn on inside the bathroom, Noelle got up and slid on some clothes, then picked up the legal pad and a pen and curled up in the armchair by the window. She looked out and took in the view, the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane in sight. Inspired by her surroundings and her husband's encouragement, she turned the pad to the first blank page and started writing.

The words poured out of her – pages of them. She did not even notice Don emerge, or feel his eyes on her as he watched her for a while, enamoured by her and the new-found passion she seemed to have.

After a while, Don picked up the newspaper he had started leafing through earlier and resumed reading through the pages. A headline on page five caught his eye: _Sharp Rise in Violence Spurs Task Force_. He sighed quietly, shaking his head as he read through the article. "Jesus."

"What would the nuns say about you taking the Lord's name in vain here of all places?"

Don looked up at his wife. He shut the paper. "Sorry, doll."

"Bad news?"

"Nah. Uh, what time is it back home?"

Noelle glanced at her watch. "Just about seven. It's too early to call Katie."

"Right. I, uh – I was actually thinkin' 'bout callin' Pop. But yeah, it's probably too early. Maybe I'll just run down and fire off a couple emails."

She smiled and turned back to her writing. "Okay. Have fun."

Don folded up the _Times _and took it with him as he headed down the three floors to the lobby and bought some time on the computers. He logged on to access his email and composed one quick message:

**To: Danny Messer [****d.messernypd.nyc.gov****; Mac Taylor [mac.taylornypd.nyc.gov**

**Cc: **

**Subject: NY Times – 8 Jan.**

**Dan, Mac,**

**You guys know anything about this? Mac, you got an inside track – can you find out how much of this is true? I'll swing by the Lab first thing Tuesday.**

**Don.**

**P.S. If it weren't for Katie, I'd think twice about coming back. **


	35. Golden Boy

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Welcome back," Danny said as he greeted Don in the corridors of the Crime Lab.

"Thanks."

"Hiya, Katie."

The little girl smiled shyly at the familiar CSI, but clung to father as he held her in his arms. She had been firmly attached to both him and Noelle since they had picked her up from her brother and sister-in-law's the night before, as if afraid that if she let go, they might leave again.

"How was the honeymoon?" Messer asked.

"Let's just say that I'd rather be back in Israel with my beautiful new wife than dealing with this." He held up the folded copy of the _New York Times _with his free hand. "I was seriously hoping you were going to email me back and tell me this was some kind of joke."

"C'mon, Mac's waiting in his office."

The two detectives walked down the hall and found Taylor as Danny had suggested – waiting in his office, catching up on some paperwork to pass the time. The senior officer stood upon their arrival and greeted Don, congratulating him again on his marriage.

Don could not help the grin that crossed his face. Spending two whole weeks with Noelle had been amazing. He had never been happier in his life, especially once they had returned and reunited with their daughter. Of course, with his new family now all together, the article published in his absence – when he was unavailable for comment – just seemed to upset him more. "I'm not sure why no one told me how amazing this marriage thing was years ago."

Mac chuckled knowingly.

Don settled Katie on the floor by the couch with some toys and picture books, then he and Danny sat down in the visitors' chairs. "So, what's this all about? Why is my name being tossed around as the Elliot Ness of the NYPD?" Flack finally asked.

Danny laughed at the comparison.

Don shot his best friend a glare.

Messer shrugged innocently. "C'mon. It was funny."

"It's a good opportunity, Don," Mac pointed out.

"No, it's a death sentence. Look, Mac, I assume you guys called me over here because you have some inside information. So, tell me what the hell happened?"

"Toronto's mayor and Dalton McGuinty met with Crenshaw and the state governor last week. The outcome was this task force. You're the department's rising star and you've got experience with organized crime. You took down Gavin Wilder and his crew and have only been adding to your arrest record ever since. You're the obvious choice to lead this."

"Wilder came about because I had a tip from a CI, that's the only reason I had anything to do with that drug bust. As for everything since…I was just doin' my job," Don countered modestly.

"You got me out of that warehouse, man, and you have had each of our backs every time we needed you," Danny said with a nod of respect and gratitude.

"I'm a cop, Dan. Look, I just got married. I got a family to worry about now. I mean, Noelle and me, we've got a kid. Good opportunity or not, leading this task force marks me. I'm not going to leave my wife and child the way I saw a lot of the guys my pop worked with leave their families."

Danny and Mac glanced at one another.

Don furrowed his brow as he caught the look passing between the other two men. "Don't tell me you called me down here to convince me to do this!"

"How many more notifications do you want to do, man? The stats in that article, they're bang on. The gangs are taking over again. There are more guns in this city than there've been in decades. The network between here and Toronto, c'mon, Flack, it's out of control. Something needs to be done," Danny argued.

"And you think _I'm_ the one to do something about it?" Don asked incredulously.

"Damn straight."

Don looked at his best friend pointedly. "And what about when this lands in your backyard, Danno?" He glanced at Mac then back at Messer with raised eyebrows, leaning back in his chair. "Huh? You really want me sniffin' around?"

"I'm a cop, just like you, and I got my own family now. Whatever you find, you find," Messer replied quietly.

"Listen, Don, you're a damn good cop, and someone everyone in this department is proud to work alongside. And there is no other person that I believe can do what needs to be done to accomplish the goals this task force is setting out to accomplish. New York's my city as much as Chicago ever was. I want to see that it's a safe for Katie, Olivia and Matteo."

"And what of my family in the meantime? While I'm out bein' the NYPD's golden boy or scapegoat – 'cause I'll get branded one or the other, depending on how this all turn's out – what's gonna happen to Noelle and Katie? Noli is just waiting for something to happen. It doesn't matter how happy she is, she's always waitin' for the other shoe to drop. How can you ask me to put myself in a position that may destroy the family we've fought so hard to make?"

"Because we'll be watchin' your back," Danny replied simply.

Don raised his eyebrows. "That supposed to make me feel better?"

Mac leaned forward, tenting his fingers on his desk. "If we have any reason to believe there's real danger, you and your family will be protected. I'm not above calling in reinforcements to protect our own. But there's a greater good to serve here, Don. And you offer me a better alternative to see that it's done."

Flack smirked. "Well, when you put it like that."

As much as Don respected and trusted Danny and Mac, there was one other person besides his wife who he knew could provide some insight. With Noelle stuck at work for another few hours, he made sure his father was home, then drove Katie into Queens and pulled up in front of his parents' house. The little girl had fallen asleep in her car seat, so he eased her out without waking her and carried her into his childhood home.

Once he settled his daughter in the playpen that his parents kept for their young grandchildren, he sat down with Jump in the living room. "What do you think I should do?" he asked his father earnestly.

"That's a decision only you can make, Donnie," Don Sr. replied.

"Look, Pop, I'm a homicide detective. I like being out on the streets and I'm sorry if it disappoints you, but I've never really aspired for more than that."

"There's nothing about that which disappoints me, my boy. All I've ever demanded of my children is to be the best at whatever they choose to do."

"Those months after the explosion, when I had to ride a desk, I was miserable. I'm not a nine-to-five guy. I may bitch and moan, but I like bein' called out to scenes at all hours. I like it when I get to tell a mother or a father that I put their kid's murderer behind bars. And this is – Pop, this is a bunch of glorified administrators sittin' around comin' up with theories that'll never fly out there on my streets."

"Not if someone like you is leading them, son. You're right, those are your streets. And you know what will and won't work out there. You'reexactly the kind of person they need."

Don furrowed his brow.

"Listen, son, hear Bowery out before you write this off. And don't look at it as what it could do for your career but what you can contribute to this effort."

"Heading this up will put me on Caravaggio's radar."

"You're not going to be out there alone, Donnie. You've been heading the investigations from the beginning. You're already out there. Think about takin' it all the way. Think about what you have to offer this city. That's what you really need to ask yourself."

Don leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, collecting his thoughts for a moment before he looked back up at his father. "I have to talk to my wife."

Jump smiled knowingly. "Yes, you do. You're catching on."

Hours later, Don was sitting on the living room couch re-reading the newspaper article, his mind racing a million miles an hour as his initial instincts fought against the arguments of three men he respected and trusted more than anything.

When he heard the front door open, he set the newspaper aside and headed into the entryway to meet his wife. "Hey, doll."

She kissed him languidly in greeting. "Hi. Where's Katie?"

"Mama!" the little girl answered, ambling down the hall and latching onto her mother's leg.

Noelle picked her daughter up and hugged her tightly. "Hi, there, sweetheart. Did you have a good day with Daddy?"

"G'ampa!" Katie exclaimed in response.

Noelle looked at her husband.

"We stopped by to see my dad," Don explained.

"Ah." She kissed her daughter's cheek, then set her back down.

"Up!" Katie demanded, looking now at Don.

"What do you say, Katie?" her mother pressed.

"Up, p'ease!"

Don chuckled, picking her up in his arms and hugging her tightly before looking at his wife. "So, how was your first day back at work?"

"It was fine. I put in the name change form with HR," she grinned. "I like writing Noelle Flack." As they walked into the living room, she sighed happily. She pulled him down on the couch next to her and curled up into his side, Katie on his lap. "How was _your_ day?"

"Interesting."

"Hmm. I bet. When were you going to tell me about this task force?"

He raised his eyebrows. "How did you find out?"

"Mom asked me about it when she called, told me about some article in the _Times_ while we were gone. I'm more interested in why _you_ didn't tell me."

"I wanted to find out some more about it."

Seeing the apprehensive look on his face, she reached up and touched his cheek. "So?"

He explained what little he knew considering all he even had to go on was some article in a newspaper and what Danny and Mac had heard so far. He watered down the risk a little, though he did not sugar coat the opportunity, either.

"Look, I haven't even been officially asked. I've got a meeting with Bowery tomorrow. So, nothing has to be decided right now. And when the time comes, I'm not going to make this decision alone," he finished.

"I'm going to back you up no matter what. You need to do whatever's going to make you happy. That's what going to make me happy," she assured him.

He leaned over Katie and kissed his wife gently. "I like having someone to come home to and talk this over with. "

"Me, too."

"Oh, I talked to Lorenzo. He filed the adoption papers."

Noelle looked at her daughter. "You hear that, sweetie? It's just about official."

"'ffic'al!" Katie repeated excitedly, though she had no idea what it meant. However, the smile on her mother's face told her it could only be a good thing.

Noli smiled. "Everything's coming together."

"Where's the cynical, skeptical woman I've come to know and love?" Don teased her.

"I'm turning over a new leaf. See, I picked up this guy in a bar a while back, and only good things have come down since then. Tell me that's not an omen."

"Only good things, baby. I think you've even got this city boy believing."


	36. Under the Weather

**A/N WARNING: there are a three uses of expletives in this chapter – but it is meant to be funny, so hopefully those that like my stuff because it's usually pretty clean will forgive me this. **

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Hearing the doorbell, Noelle roused from the light sleep she had fallen into on the couch and got up. She cringed slightly, remembering why she had laid down in the first place. Taking a deep breath, she walked down the hall and glanced through the peephole. With a sigh, she opened the door. "Hi, Danny."

"Hey, Hansen. I came by to grab Flack's hockey stick."

She nodded a little absent-mindedly. "Yeah. He, uh – He told me you'd be coming by." She stepped aside and let him in.

Danny walked into the apartment and studied her. "You don't look so good, kiddo. Everything okay?"

"Just not feeling so great."

"Bad time of year. Half the Lab's down with the flu."

"Yeah. I'm just waiting for Katie to get it, too. Poor kid seems to catch everything. Here…" She walked over to the hall closet and opened it to retrieve the hockey stick. Suddenly overcome with a wave of dizziness, she nearly fell over, grabbing onto the wall to keep herself from falling.

"Whoa. All right, I got you," said Danny, quickly moving over and putting his arms around her.

"I'm okay." Embarrassed, she shrugged out of his arms and straightened up.

"Sure ya are. C'mon. Come sit down."

She walked back into the living room and slumped down on the couch, running her fingers through her hair as she took a few deep breaths.

"Where's the rug rat?"

"She's napping."

"Listen, Hansen, why don't you go in and crawl into bed. You look like you could use some sleep. I'll stick around and watch Katie 'til Don gets home."

Noelle looked at him warily.

"What? I've learned a lot of stuff since the twins were born. I know you shouldn't let them stick things into electrical outlets or drink whiskey," he teased her. "C'mon, I've got a degree in chemistry and I carry a gun. You think I'd have any of that if I weren't a responsible adult?"

She laughed in spite of herself. "Thanks. The, uh – The monitor's right there. You'll know when she wakes up. And – Wait, what about your hockey game?"

"I've been looking for a way to get out of it. You know your husband volunteered me for this? He gets assigned to some task force and thinks he's some big shot now. So, far as I'm concerned, lettin' me use you as an excuse not to go is justice," he explained jokingly.

She laughed weakly. "You're not a hockey fan like Don, huh?"

"Nah, I'm a ball player."

"Well, here's a confession for you: I'd rather watch Mussina over Valiquette any day. Just don't tell my husband or he might call for an annulment."

Danny groaned. "The Yankees _and_ the Rangers? You cut me deep."

"But I'll take the Giants over the Jets any day. Does that help?"

"A little. Now go."

An hour later, Noelle was still asleep and Danny was playing with a set of blocks with Katie on the living room floor when Don arrived home.

"Uh, what's this?" Don asked with a hint of amusement after kicking off his shoes and hanging up his overcoat.

"Your wife is down with the flu. I told her I'd watch the ankle biter 'til you got home. You know this kid is a genius, right?"

"I told you that once. You said I was biased."

"I was wrong. Mac needs to stake a claim on her, Matt and Liv before they're snatched up by some other government agency."

"Their combined age is less than three," Don replied with a laugh.

"It's never too early. 's all I'm sayin'."

Flack just shook his head. "Can you hang around a while longer? I'm just gonna go and check in on Noelle."

"Go ahead. Ma's got the twins 'til morning and Montana's on 'til eight, so I'm in no rush."

Don headed down the hall and quietly walked into the bedroom. He headed over and sat down on the edge of the bed beside where his wife lay sleeping. He reached over and felt her forehead, surprised at how warm it was. He let her be, then headed back into the living room.

"How's Hansen doin'?" Danny asked from his spot now on the couch with Katie on his lap, a picture book in her hands.

Don slumped down beside them on the chesterfield, reaching over and ruffling his daughter's hair. "She's got a fever. And she's gonna freak if Katie gets this and gets sick again."

"Listen, why don't Linds and I take Katie tonight? You look pretty beat yourself."

"You sure? You don't get many free nights without the kids…"

"Not a problem."

"Mama sad?" Katie asked then.

"Nah, sweetheart, she's just not feeling well. Just like when you had the chicken pox, remember? She just needs to sleep for a while. Will you be a big girl and go stay with Danny and Lindsay tonight? Uncle Danny will read you stories just like papa does, okay?" Don assured her.

Katie looked at Messer a little skeptically but then nodded for her father. "k."

"How's the task force goin'?" Danny asked then as Katie turned back to paging through her book.

Don sighed wearily. "Nothin' like ten hour days in a boardroom with a bunch of suits. If that wasn't bad enough, I think I'm gonna have to head up to Toronto the week after the Policeman's Ball to meet with the brass there. Feels like I've spent the last two weeks spinnin' my wheels. I mean, I'm a street cop, Dan. I head investigations. I don't know anything about leading initiatives. I don't know how I let Bowery talk me into this. I don't know how I let _you and Mac_ convince me to even hear Bowery out!"

"C'mon, man, it can't be that bad."

"It's just frustrating. Noli and I've been married barely a month and if feel like I've hardly seen her the past couple weeks with nothin' to show for it. I should be out in the field."

"Look, as long as Carlos Caravaggio and his crew are walkin' the streets, you're where you need to be."

"Since when did you start supporting the brass or anything Chisholm or Morton's administrations have done?"

Danny scoffed. "Please. I wouldn't trust any of 'em as far as I can throw 'em to clean up these streets. But you and me, we come from the same place and we got the same goals. Flack, somewhere along the lines, we ended up married with kids of our own. Now, I got no desire to be livin' in the 'burbs somewhere with a minivan, but I also don't want to be afraid to let Matteo and Olivia out of the house. Look, this new generation of street gangs, nothin' scares 'em. They don't give a flyin' fuck 'bout anything."

As Don considered his best friend's words, Katie glanced up from her book. "Fuck," she said quietly.

Don's eyes widened and he fired a glare at Danny. "Ah, Christ. She's –"

"Ah, Christ!" Katie exclaimed, looking up at her father with a giggle.

Danny stifled a laugh, knowing it would just encourage the parrot on his lap. "Sorry, man," he apologized half-heartedly.

"Sure ya are. Noli's gonna kill me."

"Look, we'll just pack up and go. By the time I bring her back tomorrow, she'll have picked up a whole bunch of other words."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I want _you _teachin' her anything else," Don muttered. "Hey, cutie, let's go get your stuff for your sleepover. Want to come pick some toys?"

"Fuck!" she exclaimed.

It took everything in Don not to swear in response. He sighed and picked up his daughter, carrying her down the hall to her room to get her ready to go to Danny and Lindsay's. He gathered everything Ekaterina would need for the night. Soon, Messer was off with the little girl, intent on teaching her some new, acceptable words, and Don was heading back in to tend to his ailing wife.

Upon his return to their bedroom, he found Noelle still sleeping. He shed his suit and headed to the bathroom where he jumped into the shower, willing the hot water to wash away the knots that had formed in his shoulders and back during the day.

When he emerged, having dressed in a pair of track pants and an old Academy t-shirt, Noelle was still in bed, but she was awake, sitting up with her knees hugged to her chest as she leaned against the headboard. He walked over and sat down on the middle of the bed. "Hey. How are ya doing?"

"I feel like I got run over by a truck. A small truck, but a truck nonetheless. And I noticed our daughter's MIA. You know something about that?"

"She's with Danny and Lindsay. They're going to keep her overnight."

"Oh, thank God. I don't want her getting sick again."

He reached over and felt her forehead. "You're still warm."

"I'm not surprised. Usually when you're around, my temperature rises," she kidded.

He grinned but then studied her with some concern. "Why don't I go run you a bath? Might bring down your fever."

"I'd ask you to join me but it looks like it might be a little redundant," she pointed out, running a hand through his damp hair.

"And I wouldn't want you over-exerting yourself," he replied with a wink. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then got up. "I'll go fill the tub."

While Noelle soaked in a lukewarm bath, Don warmed up some soup for her. And not long after, she was back in bed, this time with her husband's arms around her.

"I'm probably going to Toronto in February," he said, stroking her hair as she laid her head on his chest.

"Really? Maybe I can get a couple days off and come with, show you around. I'd love to take Katie and show her where her Gramma Sarah grew up."

"How do you do that?"

She glanced up at him. "Do what?"

"Here I am dreading this thing and you just completely turn it around. Wow. Slip a ring on the woman's finger and suddenly she loses all her cynicism," he teased her.

"I know, isn't it sick? Even down with the flu, I'm still disgustingly happy. You've wrecked me, Detective."

He chuckled, kissing her temple.

She yawned, feeling the pull of sleep. "This trip gonna get you out of the Policeman's Ball?"

"Nah. Unfortunately. Hill and Bowery already told me they're expecting me and my lovely new wife. If I'm the new golden boy of the department, _we're_ the golden couple."

"You don't make that sound like a good thing," she observed, laying her head back down on his chest and closing her eyes.

"It's all politics, doll. It's a game, one I don't care about playing. 'Cause right now, I might be the golden boy, but if this all goes south, I'll be the fall guy."

"Well, baby, no matter what happens, there's one little girl who things you hung the moon, and her mother's not far behind. I know you don't like the game, but that's what makes you perfect for this job. You're not being driven by ambition or political gain. Justice and a desire to make this city safe for our family is your only motivation. And that makes you a hero in my book." She yawned again.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart. You're not gonna make a good trophy wife if you've still got the flu," he joked.

Noelle laughed but didn't open her eyes. "Ah, so that's why you married me."

"Yep. It was all about havin' a gorgeous woman on my arm. Once the Policeman's Ball is over, that's it."

As she felt herself being pulled into sleep, she muttered, "Sorry. Stuck with me."

"I guess there are worse things." Realizing she had not heard him because she had succumbed to sleep, he just smirked and reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. Yep, there were definitely worse things than going to sleep with the woman he loved curled up against him – even if she was sick with the flu.


	37. The Ball

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"Whoa. Tell me what Junior ever did to deserve the likes of you!"

Noelle blushed at the whistle as she waited by for her husband by his desk in the pit. She glanced up to find Colin Masters, one of Don's fellow homicide detectives. "Hi, Colin."

"Quit flirting with my wife, Masters," Don good-naturedly barked at the older detective.

Masters just shook his head with a grin then headed out into the night.

Don looked his wife over appreciatively. "You look absolutely stunning."

"Well, this really hot detective is taking me to a ball, so I thought I'd better look my best." She handed over the garment bag she had been holding. "I'll wait here while you change."

"You don't want to come with?" he invited suggestively.

She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "If we're alone the first time I see you in your dress blues again, we'll be very, very late."

He grinned. "I'll be right back."

Noelle was still waiting for Don when Danny and Lindsay walked into the bullpen, Danny in uniform and Lindsay in a floor length royal blue dress. Both looked wonderful, if not slightly uncomfortable in the formal attire. Messer greeted Noelle with a kiss to her cheek.

"You guys look great," Don's wife complimented.

"And you look amazing, Hansen," Danny replied.

She had borrowed Jen's maid-of-honour gown from the wedding, and the crimson dress looked almost better on her than it had on any of her bridesmaids. She grinned then when her husband returned, looking dashing in his uniform. Despite having seen him in his dress blues at the wedding, but he still took her breath away. She certainly felt proud to be attending this year's Policeman's Ball on his arm as his wife.

"What d'ya say? Shall we go get this thing over with?" Messer asked, already fidgeting with his tie.

The four travelled together the few blocks to the hotel where the ball was being held and met up with Sheldon, his date Corinne, Stella, Mac, Adam and Kendall in the lobby. "Looks like you've been promoted, Don," Stella announced.

"How's that?" he asked.

"You're sitting at the Commissioner's table," Sheldon explained.

Don outwardly groaned. "Jesus."

Noelle looked at her husband with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Might be a long night."

Sitting at the Commissioner's table was not all bad. The company was probably not as animated as it would have been had they been sitting with the CSIs, but once dinner and the customary speeches were over, they were able to get up and mingle. Because of the task force, Don had some obligatory networking to do, so Danny swept Noelle out onto the dance floor during a slow ballad when he saw she was getting weary.

"Thanks, Danny, but your wife would probably like to dance with you," Noelle said gratefully when the song ended. "Besides, I really need some water."

She walked over to the bar and waited in the small line, finally able to order to bottle of water.

"Some party, huh?"

She glanced up and just nodded at the man standing beside her, someone she had never seen before. He was not in uniform, instead was wearing a tux. He was a patron or someone's date, she surmised. Either way, he was not someone she neither needed nor wanted to converse with.

"Your husband seems to be making quite the impression."

As the bottle of water was sent in front of her, she picked it up and turned to the speaker, furrowing her brow. "My husband takes his position very seriously."

"I'm sure he does. It's a dangerous job he has. You must worry."

Noelle's radar went up. There was something almost menacing in the undertone of the man's words. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Carlos Caravaggio. It's been a pleasure, Mrs. Flack. Have a lovely evening." And with that, he turned and walked away.

Across the room, Don noticed the exchange, excusing himself from his conversation with a couple members of the brass. And a few feet away on the dance floor, Danny and Lindsay had watched the scene unfold as well. Messer took his wife's hand and walked over to his best friend. "Your call, buddy," he said.

"How did he even get in here?" Lindsay asked.

"I don't know, but there's no way he's gonna get away with breathing the same air as my wife," Don replied, his hands clenching.

Lindsay glanced between the two men. She looked over towards the bar where Noelle still stood, sipping her water and trying to make sense of the ominous feeling she had. "I've got Noelle. You guys go do your macho thing and we'll pretend we're not pissed off later."

Messer chuckled slightly, thankful to his wife for breaking some of the tension. He kissed her cheek, then accompanied Flack across the floor in the direction Caravaggio had headed.

Lindsay walked over to Noelle. "Hey, there. Don and Danny will be right back. You want to go sit down?"

"Who is Carlos Caravaggio?" Noelle asked.

"C'mon. Let's sit down first." She led her friend over to the CSI table where Mac and Stella were sitting, deep in conversation.

"What's going on?" Stella asked, seeing the serious expressions on both women's faces.

"Someone let Caravaggio crash the party," Monroe explained.

Outside the ballroom, Danny and Don glanced around, trying to figure out where the man they had been trailing went. Danny noticed the coattails at the top of the escalator first, and nodded at his best friend. They were outside in the taxi roundabout before they caught up. "I know you're pissed," Messer whispered, "but the son-of-a-bitch didn't break any laws tonight. So don't do somethin' I can't get us out of. _Capisce_?"

Don heeded the warning, but still narrowed his eyes as he called out, "Caravaggio!"

The man turned and stopped walking. He smirked, putting his hands in his pockets as he awaited the approach of the two detectives. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"You could show us your invitation," Don replied.

"Oh, I must have dropped it inside. Oops." Carlos Caravaggio, at thirty-five and wealthier than anyone his age deserved to be, looked like any other businessman living off his father's money. Even most of the ball's attendees would not have guessed he was allegedly heading one of the most dangerous crime families the city had ever seen. But the tux and the smug grin were no disguise as far as the two detectives standing in front of him now were concerned.

Messer rolled his eyes. "This doesn't really seem like your scene, Carlos."

"Really? I'm hurt that you don't think of me as civic minded." He looked at Don then. "Detective Flack, your wife is quite stunning. I hear you have a beautiful little girl, as well."

Danny shot his best friend a warning look when he noticed Don tense.

"You ever approach my wife again and –" Flack started.

Caravaggio stepped closer. "And what, Detective? You gonna arrest for me for talking to a beautiful woman? Is that illegal now? She certainly is a looker, I'll give you that. And from the way she moved out on that dance floor, I bet she's great in bed. Hmm. I can just picture –"

"Don't you _ever _speak about my wife again! You got a beef with me, you discuss it _with me_. Leave my family out of this," Don warned. "You'll never go near her again, you hear me?"

"You might have thought about that before you started digging around things that are best left alone. Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out 'a yours." With that, he turned and walked off.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?" asked Mac as he joined the men out front of the hotel.

"Caravaggio walked into a room full of law enforcement personnel to speak _to my wife _so he could make a point. He's telling me he can get to her anytime, any place. You guys want to tell me again that this isn't dangerous?" Flack asked angrily.

"Look, Don, this is exactly what he wanted. He's hoping you'll get spooked and pull out."

"Tell me why I shouldn't. Noelle and Katie are my life, Mac. They are my only concern right now. I'm not about to risk their safety for a collar."

"Carlos Caravaggio is not just some collar, man, and you know it," Danny argued. "You must be getting close to something to have him fighting back. That's the only reason he would pull something this. If you pull out now –"

"You know what, Dan, why don't you shut the hell up. If this was Monroe, you wouldn't think twice. Why are _my_ wife and child expendable here?"

"Hey, man, c'mon. Hansen and Katie mean a hell of a lot to me. I'm not suggesting they're expendable and you know it. All's I'm sayin' is we can protect them. What you're doin' is too important for you to back down."

Don ran his hands through his hair, frustrated and angry.

"Flack, we'll keep them safe. Caravaggio knows we're gonna be watching him now. He's too stupid to do somethin'."

"Danny's right," Mac agreed.

"So help me, if anything happens to my family –"

"_You're_ _my _family, Don," Messer said seriously. "I ain't about to let anything happen to any 'a you."

Don furrowed his brow, though he relented. He knew they were right. The work he was doing with the task force was too important to back away from now, and there were measures he could take to ensure Noelle was protected. If anything, he was more determined now.

Back down in the ballroom, the men returned to the CSI table, where Lindsay and Stella were sitting with Noelle. Don sat down next to his wife, a protective arm sliding around the back of her chair. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine. Stel and Linds filled me in. What about you? You didn't go all caveman out there, did you?" she teased him.

"No comment."

"C'mon, then. You owe me a dance."

"You sure?"

"I didn't get all dressed up just to dance with Danny – no offence," she said, glancing over at Messer.

"Thanks a lot, Hansen. My ego feels real good right now," he kidded her in response.

Don laughed. He stood and extended his hand. "May I?"

"You certainly may, Detective." She took his hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor.

Flack held his wife close as they danced to a slow tune the swing band was playing. "You sure you're all right?"

She pulled back and looked up into his bright blue eyes. "I'm fine. But I'm a little worried about you. How dangerous is what you're doing?"

"It's no more dangerous than when I'm out in the field."

"Really? 'Cause I got a really weird vibe off that Caravaggio guy."

"Yeah, well, you ever see him again, I want you to call me, Dan or Mac, okay?"

"So, _he's _dangerous?"

"I'm not gonna lie to you, doll. He could be. Just – Sweetheart, be careful."

"Promise me the same thing, okay? Despite continually telling myself that you're invincible, deep down I know it's not true. And I like being happy."

"You got my word."

"Good. Because I have everything I've ever wanted in you and Katie." She rested her head against his shoulder, his height and the power of his embrace offering more comfort than she required.

Don kissed the top of her head. "Me, too." And as he held her, he silently vowed that he would do everything in his power to protect her _and_ the daughter they now shared.


	38. JFK to YYZ

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"C'mon, sweetie, do you want Mommy to carry you?"

Katie looked up at her mother and shook her head vehemently.

Noelle smiled at her little girl's independent streak. She crouched down on the sidewalk in front of her daughter and zipped her pink parka up further and pulled her white hat down a little more over her chestnut curls. "I can't believe you're almost two. You're growing up too fast. And you're getting so big, aren't you? You have to stop growing or Daddy won't recognize you when he gets home on Friday!" she teased her.

Katie furrowed her brow. "Dada home?"

"Just a few more days, I promise. Daddy's doing something really important. We should be very proud of him," Noelle said wistfully.

Katie put her hands on either side of her mother's face. "Mama sad?"

"Yeah, I guess I am a little, sweetheart, because I really miss your daddy. Which is really silly 'cause he just left yesterday morning and sometimes when he's on nights we can go days without really seeing each other…" She trailed off, seeing the perplexed look on Katie's face at her rambling. She shook her head with a smile, leaning over and kissing her daughter's cheek. "C'mon, Remy's probably already waiting for us."

Noelle took her daughter's hand and they walked the rest of the block to the café in Washington Square. She walked inside with Katie in tow and glanced around. A wide smile crossed her face when she found what she was looking for, and she led her daughter towards the table in the back. "I guess we've come a long way from the days when we wouldn't be caught dead in the Village, huh?"

Remington Kavanagh glanced up from the pages in the file she had been leafing through and smiled. She tucked a strand of her long, blonde hair behind her ear as she looked her friend over. "My God, Noelle! Look at you, you're practically glowing."

Noelle laughed softly and greeted her friend with a warm hug as she stood. "You don't look so bad yourself. Obviously traveling the world agrees with you." Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she reached down and picked her daughter up. "Remy, this is Katie. Sweetie, can you say 'hi'?"

Katie grinned. "Hiya."

"Hi, Katie. Aren't you pretty!" Remy looked from the little girl to her mother. "Noelle, she's just beautiful. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

"I am so sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding. Bridgette and Karen me a full report, but, of course, I want to hear it all from you. Have a seat."

Noelle stripped Katie of her hat, mittens and parka, then sat down with her daughter on her lap. She ordered a latte for herself and some apple juice for Katie, then she and Remy started catching up, falling into the familiar rhythm from their days together at Sarah Lawrence. Noelle told her friend all about the wedding and her honeymoon in Israel, then Remington regaled her with stories of her travels through Europe where she had been working as a fashion photographer.

"You know, I actually had an ulterior motive in asking to see you," Remy explained as they both sipped refills.

"Okay, I'm intrigued…"

"Well, see, I'm working exclusively with _Moda Bella_ magazine right now. You've read it, right?"

"Sure. I pick it up every month. Much more my speed than _Cosmo_ or _Vogue_."

"I am _so_ glad you said that, No."

"Why? What's going on?"

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

Don raised the collar of his overcoat against the snow that was falling as he headed out of City Hall and crossed Nathan Phillips Square downtown Toronto. He decided against heading straight back to the hotel and instead turned west down Queen Street for a walk, pulling out his cell as he did so. Glancing at his watch, he dialed his wife's cell number as he passed Osgoode Hall. He stopped, looking through the iron gates at the impressive example of architecture with a smile, which soon turned to a scowl as his wife's phone went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, sweetheart. I guess you're still out with your friend. You were right, you know. This place is pretty cool. Just wish you were here. Give Katie a kiss for me, huh? Call me when you get this." He flipped his phone closed with a sigh, then continued his walk.

Don headed north up University Avenue, passing the four hospitals situated in two city blocks before he crossed College Street, dodged the traffic in Queen's Park Crescent and took in the Parliament Buildings. The snow had tapered off, and the architecture of the University of Toronto buildings fascinated him, so he crossed the street and headed into campus.

He was standing across from University College in King's College Circle when his phone buzzed. He slipped it out of his pocket and flipped it open, "Yeah, Detective Flack."

"Mrs. Flack here."

He grinned to himself. "Hey, doll."

"You sound like you're outside."

"Yeah, I decided to take a walk. I'm in the middle of the university campus."

"U. of T.? There's a building in the centre of campus, the architecture is phenomenal. Uh, University College, I believe."

"Looking right at it."

"Stunning, isn't it? Uncle Mike took me for a tour when I was up one summer in high school. I told Mom and Dad after that I had to go to a college with ivy covered buildings. Not exactly the best criteria for picking a school," she laughed. "So, uh – I just had an interesting visit with Remy this afternoon."

"Care to elaborate?"

"She's been working for _Moda Bella_ magazine and she's got an in with the editor-in-chief. Anyway, one of their columnists resigned and they're looking for something to fill the space. She wants me to submit some of my work."

"Noli, that's great!"

"Well, I mean, it's nothing definite. But apparently, they want to change things up a bit, start incorporating short stories, serialized work…The timing is ridiculously freaky, isn't it? I mean, a couple months ago I would have thought she was crazy for even suggesting me."

"Sounds like it could be a good fit. So, are you going to send them some of the stuff you've been working on?"

"I really have nothing to lose, right? I mean, if they say no, I've still got my job."

"But _when_ they say yes…Sweetheart, something like this could open up some serious doors for you," he encouraged her.

"I know. And –"

"Me talk Dada!"

Don smirked as he heard Katie's demanding voice in the background.

"Oh, there's someone else here that wants to talk to you," Noelle laughed. "You got a second more?"

"Of course." He headed across the street and leaned up against a tall evergreen as his wife put the phone up to their daughter's ear and told her to say hi to her daddy.

"Hiya, Dada," Katie greeted happily.

"Hey, there, cutie. You being a good girl for your ma?"

"Yep. And play wit' Wocco and Unca Danny an' got ap' juice…"

As she continued to ramble, Don tried to make sense of what she was telling him, but after a while realized that he didn't care. Just hearing her voice made his day. He felt a pang inside, though. Even when he was working crazy hours and barely saw his family, at least he knew his daughter was just in the next room or he could just sit and watch her sleep, or he could feel his wife breathing in the bed next to him. Now, he was still at least three days from actually seeing them. A year ago, he would not have cared and would have welcomed a trip that took him away for a few days. Now he just wanted to be back in the city with the family he had made.

"Love you, Dada," Katie finished quietly.

"Ah, I love you, too, cutie. I'll be home in three days, okay? And Saturday, we'll go to the park," he promised his little girl.

"Yay!"

He laughed at her excitement over a simple trip to the park, and found that he couldn't wait either.

"I love you, Donnie," Noelle said then as she came back on the line.

"You, too, doll. I'll call ya tomorrow."

"Okay. Talk to you then, baby. Bye."

"Bye." He flipped his cell shut and slid it back into his coat pocket. He rubbed his gloved hands together, starting to feel the cold, and decided to head back to the hotel. _Three days, _he reminded himself. In the grand scheme of things, what was three days?

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY**

"All right, sweetie, let's get you all bundled back up and get home, huh?" Noelle suggested as she put her cell phone back in her purse and grabbed Katie's parka. "C'mere."

Katie squirmed as her mother tried to zip of her coat and protested even more as Noelle put her hat back on. "No!"

"It's cold outside, Ekaterina. Now, where did your mittens go?" Noelle glanced back up at the table in the café where the empty coffee cups and juice glass still sat, along with her purse, but did not see Katie's mitts. She checked her own coat pocket and furrowed her brow as she looked down and saw they had fallen on the floor under the chair Katie had been sitting in earlier. She went to lean over to pick them up but stopped as a pair of expensive Italian loafers stepped up in front of her.

"Please, allow me."

Both Noelle and Katie looked up at the source of the voice. "No, that's fine," Noelle argued.

But it was too late. Carlos Caravaggio, clad in a well-cut Italian suit and overcoat, bent down and picked up the little girl's mittens, holding them out to her mother.

Noelle grabbed Katie and pulled her back against her with one arm as she reluctantly took the proffered mitts. "Thank you," she muttered.

"Well, you certainly are a pretty little girl, aren't you!" Carlos greeted Katie.

The little girl grinned widely. "Hiya!"

Noelle grimaced, wishing her daughter was still in her shy phase.

Carlos crouched down so he was eye level with her. "You're a very lucky little one, aren't you? To have such a beautiful mother?"

Katie nodded.

He smiled at Noelle then. "Such a nice winter day, isn't it? The city just comes alive on days like this. Your daughter is very lucky to be growing up in a place so full of culture and opportunity. It's certainly a long way from Kiev."

Noelle tried to hide her surprise at how much he appeared to know about them. "I, uh – I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to me or my daughter," she requested.

He looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry, did I do something to offend you, Mrs. Flack?" he asked as he stood back up.

She stood up and pulled on her coat, keeping Katie pressed back against her leg. "Yes, you threatened my husband."

"I assure you, I intend neither you nor your beautiful daughter any harm, and as long as your husband stays out of my way –"

"Just stay away from my family," she ordered, trying to keep her tone even, despite the fact that her heart was pounding.

He glanced down once more at Katie, then with a dismissive nod, he turned and walked out of the café.

Remembering what Don had told her at the Policeman's Ball, Noelle grabbed her purse and dug around for her cell phone. Pulling it out, she scrolled through her phonebook until she found the number she was looking for and hit "Talk."

"Hey, you've reached the voicemail of Detective Danny Messer –"

With a sigh, she disconnected the call. Furrowing her brow, she scrolled further down through her contact list, her hand nearly shaking now as she dialed the number, her other hand holding onto her daughter's tightly.

"Detective Taylor."

"Mac, hi. Um, it's Noelle."

"Noelle? You sound upset. What's wrong?"

"Don told me to call you or Danny if – if I saw Carlos Caravaggio," she explained. "And I just saw him. Actually, he approached me and Katie in a café in the Village and I'm freaking out a little because he knew things that he shouldn't have known unless he was digging and –"

"Where are you now?"

"We're still in Washington Square."

"Do you have your car?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm out at a scene in Staten Island, but as soon as I can get Stella or Sheldon down here to cover for me, I'll meet you at the Crime Lab."

"I feel like I'm imposing and –"

"Noelle, you're family. Get used to the fact that we take care of our own. I'll see you soon."

She hung up her phone feeling a little better, and a little guilty as she noticed the confused look on her daughter's face. She crouched down in front of Katie. "It's okay, sweetie. We're just going to go visit Uncle Mac for a little while, okay? C'mon, let's get out of here. Mommy really doesn't like the Village."


	39. Detours

**A/N **For those of you wondering about the title of the last chapter, YYZ is the code for Pearson Int'l Airport in Toronto.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Carlos, where the hell have you been? We have a meeting in –"

Caravaggio waved dismissively at his younger brother, Vincenzo, as he walked into the study in the family home. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a couple ounces of bourbon. "You take the meeting, little brother. I have something more important to handle."

"More important? We got the cops breathing down our necks. This damn task force the government's got goin' on, they're on the verge of shuttin' our network down. What could possibly be more important than taking care of this?" Vincenzo pressed.

"A woman."

The junior Caravaggio looked at Carlos incredulously. "A _woman_? Are you out of your freakin' mind, C? Unless you're going to be satisfied with conjugal visits from this _woman_ while you're serving time, we gotta focus on gettin' the NYPD off our backs."

Carlos knocked back his drink and looked at his brother pointedly. "Take the meeting, Vinnie. You keep complaining that I don't trust you with enough responsibility, right? Well, I'm trusting you now. Don't let me down. In the meantime, what I've got in mind is not only going to get me what _I _want, but it may very well solve all of our problems as well." He walked over and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "I'm trustin' you, and you need to trust me. _Non disonorerò mai il nostro padre. Tutto che è per la nostra famiglia. Non dubiti mai di quello, il mio più caro fratello. Ti amo._"

Vincenzo nodded with a sigh. "When I get back, I want details."

"Full disclosure. You have my word. Now go. We cannot afford any missteps right now." Carlos watched as his brother left, then poured himself another drink. He walked over to the desk and retrieved a file from the top drawer, then he took a seat on the leather sofa, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

As he sipped his drink, he opened the file folder and started leafing through its contents – pictures, biographical details, newspaper clippings. It held everything he had managed to uncover to date on Noelle Hansen Flack. He stopped as he came to a wedding announcement from _The New York Post_, staring intently at the blushing bride looking back at him.

"Ah, C, Vinnie said you were staying behind. Anything I can do for you?"

Carlos glanced up as his cousin Gaetano entered the room. "Yeah. _Moda Bella _magazine. I want to buy it. I don't care how much it costs, make it happen."

Gaetano quirked an eyebrow. "You want to buy a fashion magazine? But you don't know the first thing –"

"Just make it happen. And where are we with the other company?"

"I'm meeting with the president tomorrow. But I don't think he's going to sell."

"Then double the offer."

"C, look, normally I don't question –"

"Then don't start now." Carlos took the last swig of his drink and set the glass on the coffee table. He closed the folder and stood, looking at his cousin sharply. "Acquisitions, Gaetano. It's what we do. I'm not sure what's so difficult to comprehend here, _cugino_."

"Fine. Whatever you want."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some other work I need to take care of."

"Sure. I'll head home. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow and I'll make some calls about this magazine."

Carlos nodded dismissively and sat back down on the sofa. When he heard the front door close moments later, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number.

"Caroline's Floral. How can I help you?"

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Hiya, Unca Mac!" Katie greeted as Taylor and Adam crossed the threshold into his office.

Mac offered a half-smile at the little girl, noting with concern the expression on her mother's face. "Hi, Katie. You know, I need to talk to your mommy about some grown-up things. Would you like to go with Adam here and colour in the break room?"

Adam waved at the toddler with an awkward smile. He had not realized when Mac had requested his help that it involved babysitting. Fortunately, he knew from meeting Katie a few times that she was a good kid and pretty intelligent for her age.

Katie looked at her mother for permission.

"Yes, it's fine, sweetheart. You be a good girl, okay?"

"'k, Mama." She jumped down off her lap and walked over to Adam and grabbed his hand. "Wocco's fwend and like ap' juice and Dada gone and –"

Adam shot a look of horror towards Mac then as he led the rambling little girl away by the hand.

Mac rid himself of the amused smirk on his face as he sat down on the edge of his desk and appraised Noelle. "Tell me what happened."

"Um, Katie and I were in a café in Washington Square. We'd met a friend of mine for coffee, and Remy left so I was getting Katie ready to go. I realized her mittens had fallen on the floor so I leaned down to get them and he just appeared out of nowhere it seemed. I mean, I hadn't noticed him in there before," she explained. "He reached down and picked up her mitts and then he addressed her and said what a pretty little girl she is. Mac, it just gave me chills to see him talking to her. I mean, I got a weird vibe off him at the ball and that was before I even knew who he was. And then he made some comment about her being lucky to be growing up here in New York and not in Kiev."

Mac could tell that Noelle was shaken, and he would be lying if he said he was not a little disturbed by the amount of information Caravaggio seemed to have acquired. However, he looked at her with reassurance. "Listen, I honestly don't think he's dangerous. I think he's just trying to make a point."

"Yeah, well, he's made it." She ran a hand through her auburn waves. "Is he following us?"

"Well, I don't think it was a coincidence that he was there today. I already made a couple calls, and there's going to be a police detail assigned to you and Katie until we finish the threat assessment."

She sighed. "I really wish Donnie wasn't away right now."

"It's _because _he's away that Caravaggio felt safe enough to do what he did. But like I said, I really don't think you're in any danger. But if it would make you feel better, perhaps you should go stay with your parents or your brother until Don gets home."

"No, no, I don't want them to even know about this. They'll just worry."

"They're your family. That's what family is supposed to do," he pointed out with a hint of a smile.

"Well, we're extra hypersensitive in my family."

He nodded. "That's understandable."

Noelle cocked her head, studying him. "Has Don told you?"

Mac realized that what he knew of her family history had come out during the William Alton murder investigation, and he doubted Noelle knew anything about that considering how Don had reacted at the time. He took a breath. "He may have confided some things," he said simply.

"Oh."

"Noelle –"

"No, it's fine. He trusts you. That actually makes me feel better. You know, that he is surrounded by people he trusts so implicitly." She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands for a moment, before looking back up at him. "You know, my mom is the bravest woman I know. I'm not sure I could've faced everything she's been through and still be standing. But, she and my dad have dealt with enough and worried about enough. I'm not bringing them into this until I'm convinced there really is something to worry about."

"I can respect that. And for the record, from what I've heard, and from what I've seen myself, bravery may be a genetic trait, because you've got a lot of courage yourself. You've also got good instincts. Trust them. And know that you can trust us. You've got me and this family to lean on should you need to," he promised her.

"Thanks, Mac." She sighed. "Oh, God, Donnie's going to flip when he hears about this."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Danny stepped out of the locker room and made a bee-line for the break room, needing a coffee before he started his night shift. He furrowed his brow as he approached and saw Katie kneeling at the coffee table, colouring, Adam watching her with a confounded expression on his face. "What's going on?" Messer asked from the doorway. "What's Katie doing here?"

"This kid's a genius. Like seriously," Adam replied.

"Yeah, she is. But what's she doing here?"

"Oh, Noelle's here to see Mac. Something about Carlos Caravaggio."

"Hiya, Unca Danny," Katie greeted, briefly looking up from her artistic endeavours.

Danny's fist clenched. "Hey, kid. You stay with Adam, a'right? I gotta go see your ma."

"'k."

Danny headed down the hall to his boss's office. As he approached, he heard Noelle comment that Don was going to flip, and the knot in his gut tightened. "What's this about Caravaggio?" he asked as he walked into the office.

Noelle glanced up a little warily, recognizing that her friend was already pissed off and she was just going to add fuel to the fire. "He approached Katie and me in the Village."

Danny looked to Mac incredulously. "So, what do we do now?"

"_We_ do nothing. There's a police detail on Noelle and Katie, and a threat assessment has been ordered. In the meantime, you're going to grab your kit and go help Sheldon at the 419 on Staten Island."

"C'mon, Mac –" Messer started to protest.

"Danny, go. Now."

Danny's eyes flared, but he knew better than to argue with Mac. "Fine." He looked at Noelle. "I'll call ya later, okay? And you call if you need anything." He hesitated for a second, then turned on his heel to head back towards the locker room to gather his stuff.

Ten minutes later, he was waiting by the elevator when Mac walked up beside him. "Hansen leave?"

"She's packing Katie up. I heard there was a bad accident in the Battery Tunnel. Traffic will probably spill over onto the 278, so you might want to think about heading around Prospect Park," Mac suggested.

Danny furrowed his brow. "Why would I go –" He fought back a grin then. "Ah, yeah, good plan. You might want to let Hawkes know I could be delayed. You know, with the bad traffic and all."

"Will do." Mac turned, then glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, Danny? I don't want any calls from IAB."

"No worries, Mac. No worries."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

**A/N** **2 **Rough translation of Carlos' words to his brother: "I will never dishonour our father. Everything I do is for our family. Never doubt that, my dearest brother. I love you." I apologize for the Italian. I don't speak it and have relied on on-line translation tools.


	40. Cavemen

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don was livid. Actually, he was whatever surpassed livid. It had taken Mac over ten minutes to calm him down, and another ten to talk him out of catching the next flight back to New York. Flack argued that if Carlos had pushed it when he had spoken to Noelle at the Policeman's Ball, he had crossed a line by approaching his daughter. Taylor did not disagree, but assured him that Noelle and Katie would be well protected until his return, and that he and Danny would handle Caravaggio in the interim. Don was finally quelled, but only once Mac reminded him that the only way to really stop Carlos was to send him to Sing Sing, and the work Flack was doing was the only way to ensure that happened. Flipping his cell phone closed finally, Don was more determined than ever to make the work of the task force a success and put the likes of Carlos Caravaggio behind bars for life.

He sat down on the edge of the bed in the lonely hotel room and rested his head in his hands for a moment. The thought of anything happening to either his wife or child made him shudder. But he never wanted them to feel afraid either. He took a deep breath, then flipped his phone open again and hit the speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart. I talked to Mac."

Noelle sighed at the other end of the line. "You're not thinking of going off and doing something stupid, are you? 'Cause I'm fine. And Katie thinks today was great because she got to see Mac and Danny and colour with Adam."

He chuckled softly. "See, that's why I called you. But you're really okay?"

"I'm really okay. The creep makes my skin crawl, but he didn't threaten me, or Katie. He threw me a bit, but now that I've had time to process everything, it's clear he's just playing a head game."

Don relaxed. "Yeah, I think you're right. I'm glad you went to Mac, though."

"You know, I'm more worried about Danny. He was really pissed off and Mac told him to steer clear and sent him to a scene to help Sheldon, but he's got a hotter temper than me."

"Don't worry about Mess, he can handle himself. So, why don't you tell me more about this meeting you had with your friend this afternoon. When do you have to have your work submitted to the magazine?..."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Danny stepped out of the SUV and shut the door, surveying the line of upscale homes on the street. He shook his head slightly in disgust. He had no problem with people who lived in big houses if they earned the money to pay for them with hard work and integrity. But he knew how Armando Caravaggio and his sons and nephews had made their living, and that they had been rewarded made him sick. Sassone had had ties with the Caravaggios, which meant Louie had probably worked for them once, too. And deep in the back of his mind, he wondered just how much his own father might know about it all.

As far as Danny was concerned, Carlos had made a grave error. He had no doubt that Noelle was more than capable of taking care of herself and standing up when it mattered. But Katie was not yet two. She was innocent and vulnerable, and a well-dressed man in an Italian suit would not seem to her someone she should fear. Playing on that was not something Messer could condone, and not something he would tolerate happening again.

With his cocky swagger in place, Danny walked through the open gate at the end of the driveway and walked up onto the front porch. He pounded on the large front door, Mac's earlier words playing themselves over and over in his mind: _I don't want any calls from IAB._ He knew that no matter how much he wanted to deal with this old school – with his fists and his brawn – he could dishonour neither his best friend and his family nor the badge that he had worked so hard to wear.

A moment later, a perky blonde in a low-cut sweater and ridiculously tight jeans appeared in the doorway. She eyed Danny up and down with a smile. "Yes? What can I do for ya handsome?"

"I'm here to speak with Carlos," Danny replied coolly, holding up his badge.

"C? Someone here to see ya, baby," she called over her shoulder.

Messer rolled his eyes. High class house, low class broad. It was a familiar formula, a stereotype for a reason.

A moment later, Carlos walked up behind the blonde. He scowled when he found Danny on his doorstep. "Get outta here, Sherry," he told his girlfriend. "I'll handle this."

She winked at Danny, then turned and headed off down the hallway, disappearing into one of many rooms.

"I believe I told the department they can contact me through my lawyer," Carlos said.

Danny looked at his badge for a second, then clipped it back onto his belt. "Ah, actually, I'm not here as a detective. I'm here as a concerned citizen," Messer explained.

"And how's that?"

"I'm concerned for your safety, _C_. You see, Detective Flack ain't gonna be happy to hear you been talkin' to his wife and kid, especially after he asked you so nicely to stay away from 'em. And he's got that Irish temper, you know? And – what was her name? Oh, yeah, _Sherry_? I don't guess she's gonna be too happy to hear you been sniffin' 'round a married woman, right? You'd be surprised what I seen happen with a scorned woman and a pair of stilettos. It ain't pretty."

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "One call to my attorney, and your office will be slapped with a harassment suit and I'll have your badge."

Danny stepped closer, well into Carlos' personal space. And although the crime boss had a few inches on him, Messer had him beat in the area of determination and intimidation. "You want to mess with me, Caravaggio? You just try. You got no idea where I come from." He stepped back and waved at the house. "Enjoy this while you can. 'Cause you'll soon be livin' out of an eight-by-eight cell."

"You got nothin' on me, Messer. I'm a legitimate businessman. I buy and sell companies and make more money than you'll ever see in your lifetime."

"You buy and sell –" Danny snorted in disgust. "You ruin lives. You're responsible for at least six deaths in the past four months, and sooner or later, the evidence is gonna prove it. All it takes is one hair, one fibre, one drop of DNA, one questionable phone call. You're not untouchable, Carlos. You're gonna make a mistake, and you can bet your ass that Flack and I'll be there when you do. And until then, you stay the hell away from Noelle and her kid. If I have to come back here, you can bet I ain't gonna be so nice." With that, he turned and headed down the driveway. When he heard the door slam, he smirked. He would have much preferred to give the thug a fat lip and a shiner, but knowing that wasn't an option, he would have to settle for getting up in Carlos' face and not backing down.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

With a sneer, Carlos slammed his front door shut.

"What was that all about?" Sherry asked as she reappeared in the hallway.

"None of your business. And you know, this? It's not workin' out, Sher. You need to get your stuff and get out."

She raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me? You can't just kick me outta here, C. I know things and I won't be dismissed like –"

"You know things? You know nothin', Sherry, except that your no-good brother would be in prison if it weren't for me. So don't you go spoutin' your mouth off, or you won't even live long enough to regret it."

Her steely determination quickly turned to fear. She had overheard enough in her time in the house to know Carlos did not believe in idle threats. "Fine, I'm gone. Just leave me and Mick alone." She turned on her heel and high-tailed it up the stairs to pack her belongings.

Carlos ran a hand through his thick black hair with a sigh. He was pretty sure he did not have to worry about Sherry, but probably better safe than sorry. He would let her go then make some calls. In the meantime, he walked down the hall into the study. He took a seat behind his desk, opening the top drawer and pulling back out the file folder he had carefully replaced earlier. He opened the file, and pulled out one of the surveillance photos his men had taken. Looking at Noelle, he was disappointed that she had talked to Messer about their encounter, but not surprised. He just had to win her over. Convince her that they were wrong about him. And soon enough, she would see that he was a much better man for her than a cop on a city salary. He just had to get control of _Moda Bella_ and things would start to fall into place.


	41. Coming Up Roses

**A/N **I'm home sick today and instead of resting, I've been writing LOL But I have found Flack and Noelle are just as good as chicken soup! Oh, and an early Happy Valentine's Day all! (Or as one of my good friends calls it, "Singles Awareness Day", which I much prefer hahaha)

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don walked through the door with a smile, his grin widening when he heard laughing and chattering coming from down the hall. It felt good to be home. Home. For years, he had lived in the same apartment, but he had never thought of it really as home. He had always referred to it as "my apartment" and "home" was still Maggie and Jump's place. But now that he had a family of his own, a wife and daughter awaiting him when he walked in the door, this place was definitely his home.

He set his suitcase down and hung up his garment bag and overcoat on the hooks by the door and slid off his shoes, the sound of Katie's laughter still wafting down the hall. He could faintly hear Noelle's voice and figured she was reading to their daughter in the little girl's bedroom. He detoured into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge, then headed through the dining room with the intention of joining his wife and child. However, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed a bouquet of red roses sitting in a vase on the coffee table in the living room.

And Don was suddenly _seeing_ red. Roses? _Red_ roses? Flowers that represented love and passion – and had not been sent by him. What kind of man had the nerve to send _another_ man's wife red roses? Unfortunately, the question seemed to have an obvious answer, which just made him angrier.

"Dada! Dada! Home!" Katie exclaimed excitedly, running over and throwing her arms around his legs.

"Hey, cutie. How's my favourite girl, huh?" he asked, his voice strained, as he picked his daughter up and hugged her tightly against him. "Ah, I missed ya."

Katie buried her face in his neck, her little arms wrapping themselves around him.

Noelle appeared in the doorway of the room and her heart warmed at the scene.

Seeing his wife, Don set his daughter down on her feet. "Katie, why don't you go grab your p.j.'s and bring them out here and I'll help ya put them on, okay?"

"'k." She ran off towards her room past her mother.

Grateful for a moment alone, Noelle walked over and wrapped her arms around her husband. "Welcome home," she greeted, leaning up and kissing him languidly. It was a heated kiss, one that told him just how much she had missed having him physically there the past few days. "You're a day early."

Keeping his arms around her, he looked at her in slight confusion. "For what? I told you I'd be home tonight."

She glanced at the flowers then back at her husband with a smile. "For Valentine's Day. It's not 'til tomorrow. But they're beautiful. And unexpected. Made them that much more special."

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. As much as he wished he had put that smile on his wife's face, that was as much as he hated Carlos Caravaggio right now. "Listen, Noli –"

"'k, Dada. And story, too!" Katie came running back out with her flannel pajamas in one hand and a book in the other and held them out to her father.

Having spent the past few days away, he did not want to dismiss his little girl. So, he met his wife's slightly confounded expression with an apologetic look, kissed her cheek, then released her and picked his daughter back up. He carried her over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap. "You been a good girl for your ma?"

"Yep! Unca Mark visit and we play and look!" She pointed at the flowers. "Pwetty."

"Yeah, they're very pretty. So, Mark came to visit, huh?" He looked at Noelle. "Anything goin' on or was he just bein' a big brother and checkin' up on you since I was out of town?"

"Ah, both," she laughed. She sat down next to the two of them on the couch. "Get this: someone put in an offer to buy Hansen Microsystems."

"I didn't know he was even thinking of selling," Don replied.

"He's not. I mean, he wasn't, anyway. The offer came out of the blue. Some large conglomerate, I guess. He turned them down at first, but then they upped the offer. Now he's actually considering," she explained.

"Wow. Total buy-out?"

"Yep. He takes it and he'd be set. I mean, he could seriously just code games or whatever else he wanted and not have to worry about money for the rest of his life."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "Sounds like a no-brainer."

"More like sounds too good to be true. But I guess that's how Bill Gates felt with the first big deal he made. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of Mark and he's really good at what he does. But I'm not sure why his company out of all the hundreds of other software development companies out there is suddenly worth all this money," Noelle said.

"And that, doll, is further proof why you don't belong in the corporate world," he teased her. He kissed the top of Katie's head before looking back at his wife. "So, this a time-sensitive offer?"

Noelle shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Hmm. Well, that's pretty cool. I mean, either way, right? If he sells, he's set. If not, at least he knows the company's valuable. He's obviously doing something right."

"Story! Pwease?" Katie insisted, holding out her book.

Don and Noelle both laughed. "Okay, okay, story. Which one did you pick?" Flack asked, taking the book.

They both read to Katie, then managed to get the protesting little girl into her pajamas and down for the night.

Finally alone, Noelle dragged her husband, though not unwillingly, into their bedroom, where she stripped him of his suit and pulled him down into bed with her. They made love leisurely, making up for the nearly a week they had been apart.

Don had all but forgotten about the flowers his wife had received until he went to get himself a glass of water from the kitchen. Walking back through the living room, he scowled at the bouquet.

"Hey, you get lost?" Noelle teased her husband a couple minutes later as she walked out to join him, tying the belt on her robe.

He hesitated for a moment. "I, uh – I didn't send you these flowers, Noli."

She furrowed her brow. "You didn't?"

"No. Hell, sweetheart, with everything that's been going on, I even forgot tomorrow was Valentine's Day. Great husband, huh? Sorry."

"Then who…" She trailed off, a look of realization crossing her face. "Seriously?"

"There was no card?"

She shook her head slowly. "I just – I figured…" She took a deep breath. "Should've known. You wouldn't have sent roses. I did think that was a little odd. But red roses, Valentine's Day…" She walked over and picked up the vase.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want anything from that man in my home. There's only one guy I'll accept flowers from." She carried the roses into the kitchen, poured the water into the sink and dropped the flowers into the garbage can. When she returned to the living room, Don was still standing there, clad only in a pair of pajama pants, glowering at the now empty space in the middle of the coffee table. "Sweetie?"

"He's making this personal. And I hate that I don't know what to do to stop him."

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on against his shoulder. "He's overly confident. Guys like that, they get sloppy eventually, right? He'll screw up and you'll nail him. In the meantime, it's only personal if we let it be."

Don smirked slightly, turning around and hugging her against him. "You want a job as a profiler?" he kidded.

"C'mon, Donnie, I haven't led a completely sheltered existence. The clothes, throwing his money around, it's called overcompensating, isn't it? He's just trying to prove something. I'm just not sure to whom. But it's actually kind of an interesting character study, if you think about it."

"Don't go basing one of your characters on Carlos Caravaggio. I don't want you gettin' into his head," he warned. "We've all done it to catch a perp, and it can be a dangerous place."

She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him gently. "Let's go back to bed. I've missed you and there are a lot of things I'd rather be doing than talking about a street thug. And I want you to tell me all about Toronto…"

Hours later, while his wife slept soundly beside him, Don was still wide awake. He had never been in this position before. He had never been involved in such an ongoing investigation, in the capacity in which he was now with the task force. And he had never before had a family that could be used as a way to get to him. He did not do well when he was not in control, and he was starting to feel like he had no power over this situation.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What've we got, Jess?" Lindsay asked as she and Danny ducked under the crime scene tape and walked into the small entryway in a tiny house in south Brooklyn.

"Looks like a suicide or accidental overdose. Sherilyn Cooper, twenty-six. I expect once tox comes back, we'll have our answers," Det. Angell explained.

Danny furrowed his brow, walking further into the living room where he crouched down next to the body of the young woman, her long chestnut hair fanned out underneath her on the floor.

"Danny, what is it?" Lindsay asked, recognizing the look on her husband's face.

"I don't know. She looks really familiar."

His wife raised her eyebrows.

He glanced up at her. "Must just have one of those faces." He looked over at Angell. "Any family? Friends? Anyone know if she was depressed or what she was into?"

"The lease is actually in her brother's name, Mickey Cooper, but neighbours say he hasn't been around for a while. No one knew she was even here."

He shook his head. "So where'd the hell she come from? And why'd she turn up dead all of a sudden?"


	42. Saint Valentine

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Lindsay hung up the phone with a sigh. The day was shaping up to be a real winner, and she still had three hours left of her shift. Angell had not been able to track down Sherilyn Cooper's brother yet, the M.E.'s office was backlogged so COD was probably days away, and both she and Danny had a pile of other open cases sitting on their desks. And to top it all off, Danny had disappeared half an hour ago without telling her where he was going. She ran a hand through her hair and returned to the paper work she had been trying to finish.

"You thought I'd forgotten, didn't ya? Admit it, Montana."

Lindsay glanced up, a smile curling on her lips when she found her husband leaning against the door frame to their office, a bouquet of daisies in hand. "Danny…"

He walked over and handed her the flowers. "Happy Valentine's Day." He leaned down and kissed her lips gently.

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He perched himself on the edge of her desk. "You okay? You looked pretty serious when I walked in."

"Just frustrated."

"Hmm. Well, I might be able to help you a bit with that, you know, once we get outta here," he said suggestively. "I know a bunch of ways to release tension."

She bit back a smile. "You have a one-track mind, Messer."

"Can you blame me? You seen the woman I'm married to?"

Lindsay felt her cheeks tinge red, which caused her to furrow her brow slightly. How could he still make her blush two years into their marriage? "We're supposed to be working."

He ignored her chastising. "Remember the time when you were pregnant and we did it right there by the –"

"Danny, stop!" she hissed, noticing Mac and Adam out in the corridor, heading past their office en route to the trace lab.

Messer just chuckled. He got up and walked over to his own desk, sitting down in his chair. As his wife got back to work, he sat back, picking up a pen and twirling it absent-mindedly between his fingers while he watched her. It was his favourite pastime – next to anything that allowed him to spend time with his children – watching his wife. Whether she was processing a scene, analyzing evidence, holding their babies, making love with him – it did not matter – he could not keep his eyes off of her. He had never thought a woman would be able to hold his attention until he met her. Now he wondered how he ever managed to get anything done with her distracting him all the time.

"What?" she asked after a while, glancing up when she felt his eyes still on her.

"I like this."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You like paper work? Since when?"

"No, not that. I mean, spendin' time together. Doesn't matter what we're doin'."

Lindsay smiled at that. "Me, too. But quit procrastinating. I want out of here at four."

"Geez, Montana, here I am tryin' to have a moment with ya and ya gotta go bringin' work into it," he teased her.

She laughed softly. "Sorry, didn't realize we were having a moment."

He just smirked, then finally opened one of the file folders on his desk.

This time is was Lindsay who sat back in her chair and appraised her husband. She bit her lip.

"Now who's got the one-track mind?" he asked jokingly, keeping his eyes on the pages in front of him.

"I wasn't thinking about sex."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, not really. Kind of, I guess."

He looked up at her with an amused grin. "Spit it out, Montana."

"Well, you'll tell me if you start getting bored, right?"

"With our sex life?" he asked a little incredulously.

She shrugged. "Or just _us_ in general."

"Where's this coming from?"

"No where. It's just – We're coming up on two years. And we have two kids now. It's all very domestic. I'm sure it's not exactly how you saw things playing out back in the day."

"Back in the day?"

"You know, back when you had a different leggy blonde on your arm every week."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You know why they call it legend, right? 'Cause it's all fiction."

"Hmm. Well, you know what I mean."

"Lindsay, there ain't no way I'm ever gonna get bored with our life. You, Olivia and Matteo, might not be the way I saw things turning out, but I was an idiot back then. I wouldn't trade one second I've had wit' you. And I don't want two more years of this. I want two, three, four dozen more. All right?"

She nodded slowly, a little overwhelmed by the vehemence in his response.

He was making some notes a few minutes later, when his brow creased. "Wait, that's it. Blonde."

"Excuse me?"

"Sherilyn Cooper. That's why I didn't recognize her. She used to be blonde."

Lindsay scowled. "Please tell me you didn't date her."

"No, no, no. She – _Four days ago_, she was blonde. Sherilyn. Sherry. Jesus, I _am_ an idiot. How did I miss that?" He looked up to meet his wife's confused stare. "She's Carlos Caravaggio's girlfriend. Well, at least, she was hanging all over him at his house the other day."

"What were you doing at Carlos Caravaggio's house?" Lindsay asked suspiciously.

"Uh, telling him to stay away from Hansen and Katie after he approached them in a café in the Village," he explained a little sheepishly.

"Danny! Why the hell am I just hearing about this now?"

"Look, babe, I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to worry."

"Damn it, you should have told me! Noelle's one of my best friends. I should know if she's in danger."

"She's not – Look, baby, she's not in danger. Mac put a detail on her and Katie, Don's home now…"

"Yeah, and Caravaggio's girlfriend just showed up dead," Lindsay pointed out sharply.

"We don't know yet that Sherilyn Cooper was murdered. In fact, all signs point otherwise."

"Yeah, well, that was before we knew who she was. People around Carlos Caravaggio don't just die accidentally."

Danny scowled. "Right when he's suddenly showing an interest in Don's wife. You're right, Montana. Dammit." He rubbed at the back of his neck, then he and Lindsay locked eyes, both with the same thought. "I got Angell."

"Yeah, I'll be in the morgue."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Okay, you ready, cutie?"

Katie nodded slowly underneath the helmet Don had just secured under her chin.

"I can't believe you can still get these things," Noelle commented as she finished strapping the second double-blade skate around Katie's shoe. "There, you're all set sweetie. You just hold on to Daddy's hand, okay?"

Don stood up then lifted his daughter up from the bench at the edge of the neighbourhood rink and carried her over to the ice. He set her down and let her get her balance on the unfamiliar footwear. "You all right?"

Clad in her pink snow suit, knee pads, elbow pads, and helmet, Katie looked like a miniature Michelin mascot. Her cheeks were already a little pink from the cold, but she was excited to try this new venture and she grinned at her dad.

Noelle pulled her camera out and snapped pictures as her husband started leading their daughter around the ice. The bob skates did not really allow for real skating, but Katie happily glided across the ice, holding tightly onto Don's hand.

After a couple minutes, Don just hoisted his daughter up in his arms and held her as he took a few laps around the ice, causing her to giggle and scream as they moved at top speed.

Noelle set her camera down and finished lacing up her own skates, then she joined them on the rink. It had been a while since she had worn a pair of figure skates, but she quickly got her footing and before long was impressing even her hockey player husband as she skated around them.

"Nice moves, Hansen," Don praised her. "There anything you're _not_ good at?"

"Don't ask me to strap any boards to my feet and slide down a mountain. I just climb 'em," she replied.

He smirked, remembering fondly their trek up and down Masada. He set Katie back down on her feet and let her slide a bit on her own, while he skated over to his wife and took her hand. There were a few others on the rink, but it felt to Don like it was just the three of them.

"First pancakes for breakfast, then an afternoon out like this? This whole Valentine's Day thing isn't so bad," Noelle commented as they skated around.

"It's certainly never been my favourite day of the year, but yeah, it ain't so bad, huh?" he agreed. He looked over at Katie and chuckled then as he watched her amble along. "Looks like our little valentine might just want to be a skater."

Noelle cocked her head. "She _is_ Ukrainian."

He laughed. "Oh, no stereotyping there, doll."

She smirked. "_Or_, she could be a hockey player."

"You gonna relegate me to the couch if I teach our daughter how to cross-check?" he kidded.

"Not if you teach her how to do it without getting caught and sent to the penalty box. You know, my dad always told me I could be a pitcher for the Yankees if I set my mind to it, so there's no reason we can't let our daughter dream about being goalie for the Rangers. I mean, they could really use all the help they can get," she laughed, skating off towards their daughter.

"Don't go slammin' my Rangers, sweetheart! You caught a Leafs game lately?"

"Hey, hey. Watch it there."

"You're a born and bred New Yorker, No. You ever thought about cheerin' for the home team?"

"How 'bout the Islanders?"

His hand flew over his heart. "You're breaking my heart here, doll!"

Noelle just laughed as she took her daughter's hand and skated her around the rink.

Don just shook his head incredulously and was about to head over to join his family when he felt his phone vibrate against his hip under his ski jacket. He reached inside and pulled the phone out, glancing at the call display. Seeing a text message waiting from Danny, he flipped the phone open. After giving it a read, he looked over at his wife and daughter, both in a fit of giggles. He sighed, looked back down at the screen: _Thought U want 2 know – Caravaggio's gf in the morgue. COD unknown. _Don scanned the park, noticing the uniforms that were keeping a respectful distance. A chill ran up his spine and as he looked back at his family, he knew it had nothing to do with the freezing temperature of the February afternoon.


	43. Making Strides

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

It had started off as any other Tuesday. Don had sat at his desk with Lindsay in his visitor's chair, both lamenting the autopsy report on Sherilyn Cooper that showed she had died of an accidental overdose. He had muttered something like maybe he really was the Eliot Ness of the NYPD and Caravaggio was his Untouchable. Lindsay had tried to cheer him up, telling him he cut a suit better than Kevin Costner, but perhaps he should try one of those fedora hats and a trench coat. He had been in the midst of rolling his eyes and laughing in spite of himself when a guy had walked into the precinct and a uniform had pointed him in the direction of Flack's desk.

"_I'm Mickey Cooper," he had said to Lindsay and Don. "My sister's dead, which means I'm as good as, so I got nothing to lose. I'll tell you whatever I can." _

Don had spent hours with Cooper gathering intel. Like the autopsy report, nothing incriminated Carlos directly. But Cooper had information on the locations of warehouses where drug deals had gone down, where weapons were stored, and names of couriers along the network the task force had been studying for the past month. It was enough to bring Don to where he was now in the early morning hours on Thursday, standing outside a warehouse in Bronxdale, having just led one of four simultaneous raids between New York City and the Canadian border. The ESU and the State Police now had millions of dollars worth of illegal handguns, automatic weapons and ammunition in their possession. There had been no drugs confiscated at his location, but Don knew they had just brought Carlos Caravaggio's illegal operations to a stand-still, and it was only a matter of time before they brought the man himself to his knees.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What's wrong, No?"

Noelle scrunched her nose and set her cell phone back down on the table, shaking her head. "Just thought I would've heard from Don by now."

"I'm sure he's fine," Mark assured his sister, tapping the folded front page of the _New York Times_ sitting on the edge of the table between them. "The way they're batting his name around in this article, he's probably just handling the aftermath."

She sighed, picking up her coffee cup and taking a sip. "Okay, I'm sure you didn't invite me out to breakfast to watch me worry. What's going on?"

"I. uh – I wanted to tell you that I'd rejected the sale offer for Hansen Microsystems."

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "Wow."

"Yeah. It was either the bravest thing I've ever done or the stupidest," he confessed, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"Hey, if it didn't feel right…"

"That's just it. I turned down the first offer and they upped the second to nearly double. Yeah, I've got some great contracts right now, but there's no way my little software development firm is worth what they were offering. Jen and I kept going over and over it, and in the end she told me to go with my gut, so I did."

"You know, I'm really proud of you. It took a lot to walk away from that much cash. You just taught your daughter a very important lesson."

"What, that's okay to be impoverished?" he kidded.

"No. That money isn't the answer to everything. You need to trust your instincts, do what's right."

"Maybe."

Noelle furrowed her brow. "But why would someone offer you so much money for your company if it's well over the asking price?"

"You got me."

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think Carlos Caravaggio was behind it."

"Who?"

She nodded towards the newspaper on the table. "_Allegedly, _the guy behind all that."

Mark picked the paper up and re-read the headline: _Weapons Distribution Network Shut Down by Local and State Authorities_. "Noli, I'm pretty sure I've got nothing to offer a crime boss."

"I don't know. Maybe making sure my brother's set for life was his twisted way of getting into my good graces."

"And why would this Caravaggio guy want to impress _you_?"

"Well, I don't know he would. I really think he's just been playing a mind game with Don. So, you're right, that doesn't make any sense. Forget I said anything."

"Uh-uh, what the hell is going on?" Mark demanded.

She scrunched her nose again, wishing she hadn't said anything as she noticed Mark's protective big brother side emerge. Seeing that he was not about to back down until his sister had told him everything, she spilled – from Caravaggio's appearance at the Policeman's Ball, to him approaching her and Katie in the Village, to the red roses Don had attributed to him. As she explained, she refused to meet her brother's eyes. Then when she finally looked up at him, she saw the same expression she had seen before on Danny's face and Don's.

"This mob-connected son-of-a-bitch has been making moves on my little sister? Why am I just hearing about this now?"

"Mark, please. It's not nearly as sinister as you make it sound."

He lowered his voice, leaning across the table in the diner a bit. "That why there are uniformed officers outside?"

She bit her lip, nodding slowly. "You saw them?"

"You know, once you've been arrested and spent a few nights in jail, no matter how long ago it was, you kind of get this sixth sense about the cops. Obviously this isn't nothing, if Don's got uniforms following you."

"It wasn't Don's idea, it was Mac's. And he's just being cautious. Listen, Mark, I'm fine."

"Wait, they're watching Katie, too? So there are uniforms outside _my_ house right now?"

"Yes."

"Jesus, Noli. My wife and daughter are in this, too, then! I had a right to know."

"Look, Mark, I'm sorry. I didn't – I really haven't thought this was that big of a deal, and I didn't think about that. I'm sorry, okay? But Erin and Jen aren't in any danger because Katie and I aren't in any danger. Mac and Don are just being overprotective. Carlos Caravaggio was just trying to get under Don's skin because this task force is threatening his business. And I mean, it's been almost a week since _anything _and now that all this has gone down, I'm sure this creep has much bigger things to worry about. But I _am_ sorry."

Mark sat back in his chair with a sigh. "You tell that husband of yours that he sure as hell better keep you and my niece safe."

Noelle's phone starting ringing then. She glanced down at the call display with a smile. "I'll do that."

He offered a lop-sided grin. "Yeah, that's my cue. Say 'hi' to Don, and when you see Remy later, tell her that she better come by for a visit before she heads back to Europe."

She simultaneously brought her phone to her ear while accepting a kiss on the cheek from her brother. "It's about time," she chastised her husband as she watched her brother head out of the diner.

"Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I didn't call sooner. It's been crazy."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's tough being a hero, I know," she teased him. "You're okay?"

"I'm fine. It was one of the easier busts I've been involved in. Someone's gettin' sloppy."

"Well, I'm glad everything went smoothly. I hate to admit but I was worried."

"Didn't I promise I'd come home to you in one piece?"

"Yeah, but that was under threat of no sex for weeks."

He laughed softly. "Still an effective tactic. You know where to hit where it hurts, doll. Look, I got some stuff to finish up then I'll grab Katie from Jen's and we'll be waitin' for ya when you get home."

"Sounds good. Remy called last night and asked me to meet her for lunch, so maybe I'll have some good news myself when I get there."

"I'll put the champagne on ice. I love you."

"You, too. Bye." With a smile, Noelle flipped her phone closed and gathered her belongings. It looked like everything was falling into place.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Carlos swore, tossing the copy of the _New York Times_ onto the couch.

"C, they got the Albany warehouse, too," Vincenzo announced as he joined his brother in the study. 

"How many of our guys?"

"I don't know. Six, maybe seven. Look, we need to get out of here 'til the dust settles and we can be sure they haven't rolled over on us."

"I'm not goin' anywhere. I got things in the works. I can't leave right now."

"You got _nothing_ that's more important that this right now, Carlos! Give it up!" Vincenzo yelled at his older brother. "I'm not about to let everything we have worked so hard for slip away because of some _ragazza – _whose husband, by the way, is behind all of this!"

"Shut up, Vinnie! I need to think. Get outta here."

Instead of obeying his brother, Vincenzo moved closer, getting into his face. "I will _not_ go to prison because of your obsession with some woman you're never gonna have. Now, it's about time you stop trying to figure out how to get Noelle Flack into your bed and start figuring out how to use her to stop the Irish freakin' pig she's married to. And if you won't, I will. But unlike you, I don't give a damn if she lives or dies. Think on _that_, big brother." With that, he turned on his heels and left the room.

Left alone, Carlos grabbed a nearby vase and threw it against the stone mantle, causing the china to shatter into a million pieces – just like his best-laid plans were shattering around him. And if there was one thing Carlos Caravaggio did not handle well, it was defeat.


	44. Hacking

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Danny looked through the microscope, his glasses resting on his forehead as he analyzed the slide. He smirked as he replaced his specs and made some notes on the evidence report on the table beside him in the trace lab. It was always a good feeling when things started to fall into place. He guessed that Flack had experienced the same thing magnified by about a thousand after the big bust earlier in the day.

Feeling his phone vibrate against his hip then, he pulled it off his belt and brought it to his ear. "Yeah, Messer."

"Danny, it's Mark Hansen. Listen, I can't get a hold of Don and I, uh – I came across some information that's kind of disturbing."

Danny's brow creased. "What kind of information?"

"The kind that might have been obtained somewhat illegally, but considering my sister's safety may be at stake, I was hoping you'd overlook that part."

Messer's eyes instantly made a quick pass through the lab and the corridor outside. Seeing that he was alone, he sat up a little straighter. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I don't know if Noli or Don said anything, but I had an offer put in on my company. I mean, a ridiculously large offer. The kind of offer that most people would think I was crazy to turn down," Mark began.

"Okay…"

"I was curious when it first came across my desk so I did some research, but when I found out the company that made the offer had a bunch of similar type enterprises under it, I didn't really think anything of it or pursue it any further, except to wonder why they would want _my _company in particular. In the end, something didn't feel right about it, so I turned it down. Anyway, this morning I had breakfast with Noelle, and when I told her about it, she made this off-handed comment that maybe this guy, Carlos Caravaggio, was involved."

"Is Hansen turning into a conspiracy theorist now? I mean, what would Caravaggio want with a software company?"

"I thought the same thing at the time and figured nothing. But when she started talking about how he's been getting in Don's face and then showing up places where she is and sending her flowers…Look, I just decided to do some digging. And let's just say my skills exceed those of just coding games and corporate applications."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what you found."

"It's a long and winding road, but the parent company that put in the offer can be traced back to one of the holding companies belonging to this Caravaggio guy. But that's not all. Through this holding company, he's also put in an offer to buy _Moda Bella _magazine."

"Okay, you lost me there. What's a magazine got to do with you or Noelle?"

"Noli's got a friend who works for the magazine, Remington Kavanagh. Remy's been trying to get my sister a job writing for them. Dan, this guy is all over my sister's life. And if you try telling me this is a coincidence, I might suggest you find another line of work."

Danny hesitated for a moment as he tried to process everything Mark had told him. He recalled the words Carlos had used the week before when Danny had showed up and confronted him about approaching Noelle and Katie: _I buy and sell companies and make more money than you'll ever see in your lifetime._ "This has stopped being about Don for him. He's focused on Noelle," Danny said quietly, his free hand clenching.

"That's the same conclusion I came to, and I gotta tell ya, it's not making me happy. Can you do anything?" Mark asked.

"Unfortunately, it ain't illegal to offer to buy a company. Look, we already got a police detail on Hansen so she's not in any physical danger. But don't think I'm gonna let this go. Nothing we got in the warehouses secured us a search warrant for any of Caravaggio's residences, but I'm gonna keep lookin'. I'll track down Flack, let him know what's goin' on. In the meantime, as far as I'm concerned, I know what I know 'cause of a confidential informant."

"Danny, I'm trusting you guys to take care of my sister and keep her safe. Just do that and I'll worry about myself."

"You got it. Talk to you later." Danny clipped his cell phone back on his belt and logged out the evidence he had been working on, then headed to Mac's office. Finding his superior away from his desk, he took the elevator down to the first floor of 1 Police Plaza and headed into the pit. "Doherty, where's Flack?"

"Left hours ago. Something 'bout pickin' up his kid," one of the detectives replied.

Danny just nodded, letting out a breath. He headed back up to the Crime Lab, and as he stepped off the elevator, he saw Mac down the corridor heading into his office with a file in hand. He rushed down the hall and entered his boss' office without ceremony. "Yo, Mac, we got a problem. Carlos Caravaggio? He's goin' after Noelle."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Your old man had a big day today, cutie," Don explained as he set Katie down on the bench in their front hallway and started to pull off her boots.

"Cake!" Katie exclaimed.

Don laughed. "You know what? I didn't think about that, but yeah, we'll ask your ma to get a cake on her way home. What kind do you want?"

"Choc'late!"

"Stupid question in this house, huh?" he kidded. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then pulled off her hat and her mittens before unzipping her parka. He hung up their coats and kicked off his own shoes, then eased his little girl down off the bench. She took off running into the living room to find her toys and he headed into the kitchen to get himself a bottle of water and her some apple juice. Walking into the living room and handing her the sippy cup, he noticed the answering machine flashing. He walked over and hit "play".

"Don, it's Mark. I need you to call me at work when you get this, all right? Later, man."

"Unca Mark!" Katie greeted happily, glancing up from her colouring book with a smile at the sound of her uncle's voice.

Don returned her smile, despite the concern he felt from Mark's somewhat urgent tone.

The machine beeped and went on to another message: "Hey, sweetie. Pop that champagne. I'm heading to _Moda Bella _after work to meet with the editor-in-chief. Remy says she _loved_ my work. Can you believe it? Your wife is this close to being employed as a writer. I'll see you guys soon. Love you!"

"Mama! Yay!"

Although he was thrilled by Noelle's message, Don couldn't shake the feeling he'd gotten from Mark's. "You, uh – Keep colouring there, okay, cutie? I gotta call your uncle back."

"'k, Dada."

Don took the handset and headed down the hall into the bedroom. He scrolled through the directory on the phone, found Mark's work number and called him. And as soon as he heard his brother-in-law utter the words _Moda Bella_ and Carlos Caravaggio in the same sentence, he felt a shudder run through him. "Do you, uh – With what you found, do you know if the sale went through?" he asked.

"No. I mean, there was a large cash withdrawal from Caravaggio's account, but there's no indication of a deposit on the magazine's side," Mark explained.

"Good, that could be good," Don muttered, relaxing slightly. Although he was sure the offer had _everything_ to do with Noelle, the fact was that Caravaggio seemingly had no power at the magazine yet, and that meant that her meeting was just what it appeared to be – a meeting with the editor-in-chief about a job. But now it was a job there was no possible way she could take. "Thanks, man."

"Listen, I already talked to Danny about this. When I didn't get you earlier, I thought someone should know what I'd found."

"Good, he'll have let Mac know. And now I gotta get a hold of Noli. If she takes that job, and this sale goes through, she could end up under contract to this guy." He ran a weary hand through his hair. "Listen, I, uh – I really shouldn't be endorsing what you did, but under the circumstances, I'm grateful. Just be careful, okay? If anyone, including Caravaggio, finds out you've been hacking into those records…"

"Don't worry about me, Don. All I care about here is my sister. Call me later and let me know what's goin' on?"

"You got it. Bye, buddy." He returned to the living room where his daughter was stretched out on her stomach on the floor, colouring in one of her many books, the phone to his ear as he tried his wife's cell. Reaching her voicemail, he sighed. "Hey, babe, it's me. Listen, don't sign anything at the magazine, okay? There're some things you need to know. Just call me when you get this."

"Dada?" Katie said, looking up at her father with a perplexed expression on her face.

"It's okay, cutie. I just need to talk to your mama. How're you doin' there?" He walked over and looked down at the picture she was colouring. He furrowed his brow. She was colouring mostly inside the lines with colours that actually made sense. "You really are a genius, aren't ya."

The little girl just giggled before she turned her attention back to her picture of an elephant. "Choc'late cake."

"Yeah, I'm workin' on it, sweetie." He reached down and ruffled her hair. "I'm workin' on it."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Stupid cell phone," Noelle glowered, throwing her phone onto the passenger seat of her car. All she got from Don's message was "Hey, babe, it's me. Listen, don't –" before the phone cut out. She tried plugging in the charger she carried in the car, but the phone still did not work. She sighed. She did not have time to even call from the pay phone down the street without being late for her meeting. So, instead, she looked into the rear view mirror, frowning when she saw the squad car four or five cars back. She shook her head as if dismissing any negative thoughts, then quickly checked her make-up. She took a deep breath, grabbed her purse and slid out of her car. After hitting the remote to lock her Toyota, she glanced both ways and made a run for it across the busy Manhattan street as rain started to fall and four pair of eyes watched her every move.


	45. Eyes

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Gaetano Parezi was many things when it came to business. He was shrewd, brilliant, ruthless, and with Caravaggio blood coursing through his veins, even dangerous. But he had never been accused of being stupid. He could understand why his cousin might want to acquire another computer company. Having the latest technological advances at their disposal could only be an asset. But a fashion magazine? There was nothing _Moda Bella_ could do for them and therefore, Gaetano considered it as a bad investment. However, challenging Carlos was a bad idea on a good day. And today had not been a good day. So, he had kept his appointment with the editor-in-chief of the magazine and the president of its publishing company to do Carlos' bidding, even when he and his cousins should have been getting the hell out of dodge.

Walking out of the downtown skyscraper, not knowing whether the magazine's interest in the offer was a good or bad thing in the grand scheme of things, he had noticed her getting out of a car across the street. Vincenzo had shown him a picture when he had come to him days ago about his concern over Carlos' newfound obsession with the wife of Donald Flack, Jr. Seeing her now, the pieces fell into place. The purchase of the magazine was for _her_. Whether it was to be a gift or a means of leverage, Gaetano was not sure.

He slipped back inside, unnoticed by anyone. That was his talent. Short and slim, with thinning black hair and wire-rimmed glasses, he was not known for his looks and the ability to fill out the expensive Armani suits like his cousins. He also never used his connection to them with the exception of the large amount of capital he had at his disposal. Only the IRS and those close to the family knew of his relation to Armando Caravaggio and his sons. It was thus easy for him to fade into the background. This often led to him being underestimated, which only worked to his advantage when it came to business dealings.

When Noelle Flack came breezing in through the revolving doors, part of him could not fault his cousin for the interest. She was beautiful. Stunning even. He stood by a plant in the marble lobby with his phone in hand, looking as if he were about to make an important call, as he watched her speak with the woman behind the reception desk. The receptionist smiled warmly at her and spoke to her for a moment before pointing towards the elevators. As she walked over and hit the up button, Gaetano Parezi narrowed his eyes before crossing the lobby and stepping onto the elevator beside her.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Vincenzo Caravaggio sat back in his car. He was parked on Fifth Avenue, around the corner from the building which housed _Moda Bella_, with a clear view of the front door. He wondered what Det. Flack would think about the supposed police detail on his wife missing the fact that he had followed them all the way from her office to her appointment here. He smirked at the thought.

After his argument with his brother, Vincenzo had been irate and had stormed out of the family home. Although he had no clear plan formulated in his mind yet, he knew Noelle Flack was a distraction his brother could no longer afford. As he watched her now emerge from her car and jog across the street, he noticed his cousin both exit the skyscraper and then quickly head back inside. He had obviously seen Noelle, too. He had no idea what Gaetano was now planning, but he hoped that like Vinnie, he was thinking about what was best for their family. With no place to be right then, the younger Caravaggio brother would just hang around to find out.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What a waste of time," Officer Wes Matheson muttered as he chomped down on the burger he had just brought back from the fast food joint across the street.

Coming up on his thirty years, his partner, Sgt. Harmon Liscombe, was just trying to finish out his last few months without incident. He had jumped at the chance when he had been offered the third watch police detail on Noelle Flack, figuring it would be a simple assignment. It might be boring and uneventful, even a waste of the taxpayers' dollars, but if it meant not having to chase down idiot criminals or break up small-time drug deals, then he was not about to complain. He sipped his soda quietly, keeping an eye on the building across the street. If he was going to complain about anything, it would have been about being stuck with the slightly reckless rookie next to him who was just itching to make his mark.

A tap on the passenger side window by Matheson startled him. Glancing out, he sneered slightly and rolled down the window. "Angell."

"Hey, there, Matheson. What're you gentlemen doing hangin' around here?" Det. Angell asked as she leaned down and glanced in the window.

"Operation Christmas," he grumbled.

She furrowed her brow, then shook her head at the rookie and looked over at Liscombe.

"Flack's wife, _Noelle_," Liscombe explained with some exasperation at his partner's lack of respect for both their assignment and the seriousness of the situation.

"Ahh. Where is she?"

"Across the street," the uniformed sergeant replied, nodding towards the skyscraper on the opposite side of the busy Manhattan avenue.

"The offices of some stupid magazine. Why the hell do we care? This is pointless," Matheson ranted. "Just 'cause the chick's hot and her husband's the department's new golden boy, I gotta be sittin' in a car for hours with _this_ guy waitin' for nothin'? Goes to show they're lettin' Taylor pull rank over there."

"What was that about Taylor?" Stella asked, arching her eyebrow as she leaned down beside Angell and glanced through the window at the two officers, her curly hair a little wild thanks to the February drizzle that had finally chosen to stop falling.

Matheson just rolled his eyes, and returned his attention to his burger.

"Are you guys on that plastic surgeon's homicide?" Liscombe inquired, his expression apologetic as he looked at Bonasera and Angell. Though he may have been a little old school, he respected both women for the places they had earned in the department. Angell had quickly moved up through the ranks and in no part because of her detective sergeant father. And Bonasera had more than proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with.

Stella nodded, ignoring Matheson completely as she eyed his partner. "His practice was in an office around here. We were just questioning his assistant."

"Get anywhere?"

"Not yet," Angell replied.

"How long's Noelle been inside?" Stella asked then.

Liscombe checked his watch. "About twenty-five minutes or so."

The two detectives both glanced at one another, wondering what Don's wife was doing hanging around the offices of one of the hottest fashion magazines on the market and dying to find out.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don took a drag on the cigarette, feeling instantly guilty as he blew out the smoke. He leaned against the railing of the balcony, glancing out towards the Hudson in the distance. It had been one of those never-ending days and he felt his entire body knotting from the strain. Noelle had not returned his call, and although she had not said what time her meeting was, he figured that she was in with the editor-in-chief right now. Not knowing exactly what _she_ knew while also processing all of the information Mark had provided had left Flack feeling nervous. And Donald Flack, Jr., did not deal with the unfamiliar emotion well.

He looked then at the cigarette in his hand, and disgusted with himself for falling back on a habit he had not indulged in since before he met his wife, he threw the butt down on the cement and snuffed it out with his shoe. Noelle would kill him if she knew he had lit up a cigarette, especially with Katie inside the apartment. He headed back inside, closing the sliding glass doors.

"Dada, come play!" Katie demanded, looking up from her spot on the floor where she was paging through one of her many picture books.

The knot in his gut tightened when he saw his daughter looking up at him so innocently. The day should have had an air of celebration between the task force finally getting somewhere with their four huge busts and Noelle's dreams of writing for a living coming close to becoming a reality. Instead, Carlos Caravaggio had managed to taint everything. The man was trying to ingratiate himself into every aspect of Noelle's life, and for that alone Don wanted him in a drawer in Hammerback's morgue.

"Story, pwease?"

"Yeah, sure, cutie. C'mere." He held out his hand and Katie jumped up, taking his hand and bringing her book as they headed over to the couch. He sat down and pulled her up onto his lap, placing a gentle kiss on her hair before she pushed the book into his hands. "You love to read, don't you? Just like your ma."

"When Mama home?"

"She should be home soon, sweetie." He started reading the story to her and was soon interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. He reached over his daughter and grabbed the handset from the coffee table, seeing an unknown number on the call display. "Hello?"

"Hey, honey."

"Noli, thank God. You get my message?"

"No. Well, part of it, then my cell died. Sorry, I didn't have time to call you back before my meeting."

"Where are ya now?"

"I'm in the editor's office. She was nice enough to let me use her phone while she went for another meeting. I can't wait to tell you all about this, honey."

He did not want to crush her enthusiasm, so he was tentative as he asked, "Did you, uh – Did you have to sign anything? A contract or …"

"No, it's going to be purely free lance stuff. Paid by submission. Sarah said she would love to feature me in every issue, but I'm under no obligation, they're under no obligation…But I can't believe how much they're willing to pay for each submission, baby! Listen, I'm going to head out, and I'll pick up some take-out from Il Fornello on my way home, okay? We can celebrate how awesome today has been for our family. Too bad Mark turned down that offer or we could _really _celebrate in style," she kidded.

"Mama choc'late!" Katie requested.

Noelle laughed on the other end of the line. "I hear Katie's making requests."

Don looked at his daughter. "Yeah, she, uh – I told her earlier that today had been a big day and she asked if we could have cake."

"That's my girl. I'll pick one up from that bakery on –"

"Listen, Noli, just come home, okay, doll? We'll figure out dinner later."

"Something wrong?"

Don hesitated. "No, just – It's just been a long day."

"But a killer one. I'll be home soon. I love you."

"Yeah, you too. Be careful, okay?"

"I got a squad car sitting outside. What kind of trouble could I possibly find? Give Katie a hug for me, all right? I'll see you guys soon. Bye."

"Bye, babe." Don hung up the phone and threw the phone down on the couch. He gave Katie a big hug and a kiss on her cheek, saying it from her mommy and causing her to giggle. He wanted to believe that maybe this was not so bad as he had first feared. There was a chance that Caravaggio might not even get his hands on the magazine, and even if he did, Noelle could just walk away. But as he started to read to Katie again, he could not shake the ominous feeling that was continuing to gnaw at him.


	46. Intersection

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Vincenzo," Gaetano greeted as he brought his cell phone to his ear after glancing at the call display.

"What's goin' on in there?"

"Where are you?"

"'Round the corner. I followed that Flack chick here, saw you duck back inside."

"She was in a meeting with the editor of this magazine, but she should be out soon 'cause the woman she was meeting with left a couple minutes ago."

"Well, whatever you were plannin', think again. There are two cops on her tail, plus two chick detectives talkin' with them right now. You packin'?"

"No. I got nothin'. I was here workin' on that deal for C. You gotta talk to him, Vinnie. He's become –"

"Obsessed. I know, _cugino_. Means it's up to us now. We gotta take care of this girl so we can get his head back in the game. But now's not the time. Go out the back. We can't risk anyone seein' the two of you together."

"Got it. I'll meet ya back at the house. _Arrivederci_." Gaetano Parezi slid his cell phone back into suit pocket and headed for the stairwell.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Hanging up the telephone in Sarah Frewer's office, Noelle bit her lip. Her husband had not sounded quite as happy as she hoped he would. She realized that she had kind of stolen his thunder with her news, and she felt a little guilty. However, she knew that was not something he would be bothered by, which meant there was something else going on. And whatever it was, it was more than him just being tired after a long day. That instantly put her on edge.

Walking through the revolving doors a couple minutes later and out onto the sidewalk, Noelle was quickly met by Stella and Jessica, the female detectives both dying to know what she had been doing in the offices of _Moda Bella _magazine.

Noelle laughed at their exuberance, allowing a surge of excitement to suppress the feeling of foreboding that had previously enveloped her. Her work was on the verge of being published in one of the top magazines in the world! And for that, she could not wait to get home and throw her arms around her husband, and thank him once again for encouraging her to write. So, matching their exhilaration, she explained everything to her friends.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a writer?" Angell asked incredulously.

She blushed slightly. "Honestly, I kind of gave up on it once I decided to adopt a baby. I figured it was a little self-indulgent. But Don convinced me to get back into it, and then my friend recommended me for this job …It's all a little providential, isn't it?"

"You and Flack have a lot to celebrate tonight," Stella said, happy for the monumental day they'd both had.

Noelle nodded, recalling their earlier phone conversation.

Stella noticed the look that crossed her face and arched an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Don just – I don't know. He's really been pushing me towards this, but I was just talking to him and he – He just didn't sound as happy as I thought he would."

"He's coming down off an adrenaline high," Jess explained knowingly. "He orchestrated a huge bust today. And I bet he didn't sleep last night, right?"

"Not more than an hour," Noelle agreed. "You're right. I'm getting paranoid, you know that? That's what happens when I've got cops tailing me 24/7. Any idea when that might end?"

Stella glanced across the street to where Matheson and Liscombe were still parked before looking back at Don's wife. "With Mac and Don involved, I'd say not until Carlos Caravaggio is either living out the rest of his days in a cell or six feet under."

"Well, you know something? I'm not going to let that man ruin this day for me and Don. I'm just not."

The three women talked for a few more minutes, then Noelle crossed the street to her car. Angell and Bonasera saw her off, nodding at Liscombe as he pulled the cruiser out and drove off after her, Matheson already grumbling.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Nah, she's not home yet," Don sighed into the phone, Danny at the other end of the line.

"What are you gonna do?" Messer asked.

"I dunno. She's so damn excited about this."

"How out o' line would it be for someone to go into that editor's office and tell her just who she'll be gettin' in bed with if this deal goes through?" Danny posited.

"Ya know, that might not be the worst idea you've ever had."

Messer snorted "Yeah, I get a decent one every now and then. Look, maybe it's all a moot point, right? C'mon, you took possession of half their transportation network today and we've got a huge stash of illegal weapons in our vault. You think Caravaggio is stupid enough to hang around town and try to close a deal with a fashion magazine? He didn't get where he is now bein' stupid."

"I'm not sure he's the intelligent one in all of this or my wife wouldn't have received a bouquet of roses from the creep. I don't know. But I gotta let her in on the fact that he was behind the offer to buy Mark's company." Hearing rustling out in the hall, he took a breath. "She's home. I gotta go. I'll talk to ya later, man."

"Sure thing. You guys just call me or Linds if you need anything, a'right?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Mess. Bye." Don hung up the phone, then got up and walked out into the entranceway to greet his wife as she came through the door.

Noelle was glowing. In fact, she was downright radiant as she smiled up at him and greeted him with a languid kiss hello.

Don's arms moved around her and he kissed her back, just relieved to have her home and in his arms. And right or wrong, he decided that for tonight, they were going to celebrate. Carlos Caravaggio could wait until morning.

"Where's Katie?" she asked when they came up for air.

"She's curled up on our bed watching one of those videos Sheldon gave her for Christmas."

She reached up and traced a finger over the contours of his face. "You had a big day, huh? I'm really proud of you."

"The feeling's mutual, doll." He leaned down and kissed her again. "Why don't you go say 'hi' to Katie and I'll order us some food?"

"You read my mind." She kissed his cheek then padded off down the hall towards their bedroom.

Don walked into the kitchen and leafed through the take-out menus on the microwave stand until he found the one from Il Fornello. He picked up the phone and called the restaurant, ordering their usual, then replaced the handset just as his wife walked into the kitchen, a scowl having replaced her earlier smile.

"You've been smoking?"

"I had a drag off one cigarette. That's it." He furrowed his brow. "What, are you psychic now?"

"I have a spy. She may be small, but she's observant. Next time don't let our daughter see you. It took me a minute to figure out what she was trying to explain, but I got it. Donnie, what's wrong? You haven't touched a cigarette as long as we've been together."

"It was just a crazy day. A lot of adrenaline. I just needed something to calm my nerves and you weren't here for me to ravish." He finished with a smirk, hoping to quell her annoyance.

Noelle rolled her eyes a little. However, she had no idea what it was like to do what he did, to face the kind of real danger he confronted on a normal day, let alone with a bust like he had led that morning. One cigarette was not something to pick a fight about, not on a day like today. "You know, once Katie goes to sleep, you're more than welcome to ravish me. Until then…" She stood up on her tip-toes and brushed her lips over his.

"Mama! Dada! App'a juice!" Katie demanded as she ran into the kitchen.

Don and Noelle broke apart, and he reached down and scooped his daughter up in his arms. "You rattin' your old man out, there, cutie?"

Katie looked at him a little warily, wondering if she was in trouble. However, her fears were quickly assuaged as her dad kissed her cheek and tickled her ribs.

Noelle bit back a laugh, and as she took in the sight, she knew that life didn't get much better than this.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Anything?" Gaetano asked as he walked back through the front door of his cousins' home and found Vincenzo in the foyer.

"No. He ditched Johnny, and his passport and emergency stash are gone," Vinnie replied.

Gaetano spun on his heels and headed for the front door.

"Where are you goin'?"

"_Sto andando trovare il vostro fratello. __E se scopro che li ha denunciati, farò passare una pallottola attraverso il suo cuore._

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

A/N Rough translation of Gaetano's last line: "I'm going to find your brother. And if I find out that he has betrayed us, I'm going to put a bullet through his heart."


	47. Truth Be Told

**A/N I am so sorry for the delay in posting. Real life has once again reared its ugly head. I will try and get more updates up this week.**

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don carefully extricated himself from his sleeping wife's arms and slid out of bed. He lazily pulled on his pajama pants and undershirt, then quietly slipped out of the bedroom. Due to his recent hyper vigilance, he walked into Katie's room to check on her. She was sleeping soundly, her little mouth curled up in a smile. He could not help but smile in return. His daughter always managed to put everything in perspective, to remind him why he did what he did, and what he was fighting for when he went to work every day. He reached down and lightly touched her cheek, then headed back out, gingerly pulling the door closed behind him.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen, then walked over and stood by the dining room window, glancing out towards the Hudson in the distance. He sipped the water, his head spinning, the reason he was still awake at 3:47 in the morning. He was feeling guilty for not telling Noelle about what Caravaggio had been up to, but he was also pissed off and more than a little worried about the fact that the creep was trying to ingratiate himself into his wife's life. It was becoming blatantly obvious that Carlos' interest in Noli surpassed trying to get at Flack professionally or even personally. And he could not bear the thought of anything happening to her. No two people had ever meant more to him than Noelle and Katie, and he knew that he would stop at nothing to keep them safe.

Lost in his thoughts, Flack was slightly startled as Noelle stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his tall frame, before placing a light kiss against his shoulder. "Have you slept at all?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I caught a few minutes here and there."

"Baby, you didn't sleep much last night either. You need to get some rest."

Don turned so he could look at her, the light from the half-moon the only thing illuminating her silhouette. She always took his breath away, and he wondered if it would still be that way fifty years from now. He smiled for a brief moment, knowing without a doubt that it would. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm okay."

"It never ceases to amaze me how bad a liar you are. C'mon, talk to me."

"You got to be at work in a few hours. You should go back to bed and we can talk in the morning."

"I'm going to work from home today. I don't have any meetings scheduled. Besides, what are they going to do, fire me? As soon as that first cheque comes through from _Moda Bella_, l'm handing down my resignation."

He looked away for a second, taking a breath at her words. Finally, he reached for her hand and led her over to the couch, pulling her down beside him before turning on the lamp on the end table. "I don't know if I said it earlier, but I, uh – I'm real proud of ya, doll. I mean, it takes guts to put yourself out there. And I can't wait to see your stuff in print."

Although she blushed a little in embarrassment at his praise, she was incredibly intuitive – especially when it came to her husband. "But…"

He furrowed his brow. He hated Carlos Caravaggio more in that moment than he had ever hated anyone for putting him in this position. "Mark did some digging after you guys had breakfast yesterday."

"My brother doesn't dig. He hacks."

"Behaviour I shouldn't condone considering my chosen profession, but not only am I grateful but I think the NYPD should think about using his 'talents'."

"What did he find?"

"Someone's trying to buy _Moda Bella_."

Noele contemplated exactly what that meant. "Oh. In other words, I should reconsider handing in my resignation at Fisher-Mathews just yet, huh? 'Cause the new owners might not want to keep the new girl around? Don, is that what's been bothering you? Because it's one gig. If it doesn't work out, I can submit my work elsewhere. Or maybe I revisit my novel. Maybe I write a screenplay. The possibilities are endless, you reminded me of that."

He took her hand, smiling a little at her determination while his gut twisted at what more he had to tell her. "It's not so much the fact that someone's put in an offer on the magazine, but _who's_ behind it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Babe, it's Carlos Caravaggio. He's the one trying to buy the magazine."

Noelle looked at her husband incredulously. "Donnie, please tell me you're joking."

"I wish like hell I was, doll. But unfortunately, that's not all."

"Do I want to hear this?"

He squeezed her hand. "He's also the one who tried to buy Hansen Microsystems."

Noelle's breath hitched slightly as she digested the news. Then feeling horrified, confused and more than a little freaked out, she stood up. "That is all connected to _me. _And none of it has the potential to get you off his back. So _why_?"

"I wish I had an answer for that, sweetheart."

"Okay, well, Mark rejected the offer. What about the magazine?" she asked.

"We don't know yet."

"That's why you asked if I'd signed anything?"

Don nodded, standing up and walking over to her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You were just so excited."

"Oh God, was he behind me getting that job in the first place?"

"I don't think so. Mark couldn't find anything suggesting the deal had gone through." He put his hands on her shoulders, ducking his head slightly so he could look her in the eye. "Look, I hate that I don't know what this guy's endgame is, but I can promise you this much: I'll see him in a cell or in the ground before I let him within ten feet of this family again."

Noelle leaned her forehead against her husband's chest, taking a deep breath before she looked back up at him. "You think he's dangerous? Or is he just trying to impress me by throwing his money around?"

"Where you're concerned, I'm pretty sure it's the second option. But the fact is, even though we haven't been able to nail his ass to the wall yet, he's still a dangerous son-of-a-bitch who's done a hell of a lot of things I'm not gonna mention in the company of a lady."

"So, what now? I call Sarah in the morning and turn down the job?"

"Nah, I think you call Sarah in the morning and warn her about the kind of guy she might be selling to. Caravaggio is hiding behind a holding company to make this purchase."

"And you?"

"We shut down the guy's network yesterday. Mark's shot down his attempt to get in through that door. If we can squash the magazine deal…Guys like Caravaggio don't do well with defeat. They get pissed off and make mistakes. And as soon as he makes a mistake, I'm gonna be there with a one-way ticket to Rikers. And until that happens, I'm gonna go down to the precinct in the morning and see if anything we got in the bust will get us a warrant to look into his bank accounts or other financial records."

"Legally."

"Yeah, legally. 'Cause as grateful as I am that Mark came through with the intel he did, I can't use it."

She nodded. "Okay, well, here's what I think we should do. You take Katie to Jen and Mark's on your way to the station and I'll try to get in to see Sarah. Then we meet back here and you take me to Central Park so we can go for a run and escape all of this for a while."

He kissed her forehead. "You got it."

"You think maybe I can convince you to come back to bed now and get some sleep?" she asked, leaning up and kissing his jaw.

"Not like that, you're won't," he kidded, capturing her lips in a deep, searing kiss.

"Come on, Casanova. You sleep now and maybe I'll offer to scrub your back when we get back from our run."

"I'm gonna remember you said that, you know. I'm very observant. Curse of the job."

She laughed softly. "Uh-huh. You'll just remember 'cause it's about sex. C'mon. We've got a twenty-two month old who's going to be demanding breakfast in a few hours and you need to be alert enough to make sure you don't pour orange juice on her cereal again," she pointed out, heading back towards their bedroom.

"I only did that once," he muttered, following closely behind.


	48. Closing In

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Are you just about finished with your cereal, cutie?" Don asked.

"I done," she replied proudly from her high chair.

Flack leaned down and kissed the top of her head, then took her dish and spoon and set them in the sink along with his own breakfast dishes. He returned to the dining room and lifted her out of her chair, setting her feet down on the floor. "All right. Let's go get your hands washed and brush your teeth so we can get to the station."

"I go with you?"

"Yep, you get to come with me today 'cause your aunt isn't feeling well."

"Mummy too?" she asked excitedly.

"No, cutie, your ma's on her way to an important meeting. But we'll only be a few hours then we can come home and hang out with her for the afternoon, okay?" Reaching the bathroom, he picked her up and set her on the edge of the vanity, then proceeded to wash her hands and get her teeth brushed. As he washed her face, she scrunched up her nose and pulled away. "C'mon, sweetheart, we can't go if you don't let me wash your face."

She scowled but grudgingly let him complete the task at hand.

Don brushed his own teeth as she looked on, then he led her out to the entryway. She was so excited at the prospect of getting to spend some time at the police station with her father that she let him pull her coat and boots on without argument, babbling away in half-English half-Katie speak the entire time. He was so amused that he was almost able to forget about Carlos Caravaggio and everything that had gone down the past couple weeks.

Half an hour later, Don led his daughter by the hand into the lobby of 1 Police Plaza. He did not want her hanging out in the pit, so he ushered her into one of the elevators and hit the button for the thirty-fifth floor. She was fiercely independent, just like her mother, and would be happy just to colour in a corner somewhere, and he knew that in the Lab, he would not have to worry about her seeing anything or anyone that had the potential to traumatize her.

Stepping off the elevator, he glimpsed Mac right away, walking out of his office with a folder in his hands. "Hey, Mac," he greeted.

Taylor glanced up. He nodded at Flack and Katie and waited for them to reach him. "I was just trying to call you."

"You got something?" Don asked hopefully.

"The warehouse. We were able to trace the purchase back to Gaetano Parezi. He's a cousin of Caravaggio."

"Yeah, I came across some info on him when the task force first started putting together our files."

"Well, Danny's over getting a warrant. We should be able to get into the financials and go pick Parezi up."

Flack glanced down at his daughter. "My sister-in-law's sick and Noelle's off to see if she can stop the sale of _Moda Bella_. I want in on questioning Parezi. You mind if Katie hangs out up here?"

"I'll watch her," Adam volunteered as he joined them in the hall. "I mean, you know she's like a genius, right? Give me a few hours with her and I bet I –"

"My kid's not a lab experiment, Ross," Don warned.

Mac looked at the lab tech, amused. "No studying Katie, Adam. Keep on that hard drive I gave you. Just make sure she doesn't wander off."

"Right, boss. C'mon, Katie."

Don crouched down in front of his daughter. "You be a good girl, okay? I'll come get you when I'm done, but if you need anything before then, you just tell Adam and he can call me on the phone."

"'k, Dada." Katie kissed her father's cheek, then took Adam's hand and let him lead her down the hall to the A/V Lab.

Mac waited until they were out of earshot, and then looked back at Flack. "Parezi won't roll over on his cousin. But those financial records will probably get us what we need to bring Caravaggio himself in."

Having overheard the last of their conversation as he stepped off the elevator, Danny held up a piece of paper. "I got us our warrant."

Flack grinned. "Beautiful."

"Let me know when Parezi's here. I'll join you in interrogation, Flack," Mac offered. With a hint of a smile, he added, "Oh, and if it weren't such a conflict of interest in this case, I'd suggest we call in your CI to go over those records, Danny. But I think using Noelle's brother would probably give the defense a large opening in this case, don't you?" With that, he headed back to his office.

Danny shook his head. "I didn't say anything, I swear."

"It's Mac. You didn't have to." Don flashed a smile then at his best friend. "We got this, man. We're closing in. I can feel it."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Noelle walked out of the _Moda Bella_ building feeling relieved and somewhat vindicated. She had not known what to expect. Sarah Frewer barely knew her – and what she did know about her was that she was a talented storyteller. It would not have been a stretch to find the tale Noelle spun for her today to be a little unbelievable. After all, it had all the makings of a great work of fiction – intrigue, a dastardly villain, a handsome hero…Noelle almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Fortunately, Sarah had already been a little suspicious about the offer to buy out the magazine, and Noelle's visit had only confirmed those suspicions. And so now Noelle's job was secure, Carlos Caravaggio was quickly losing ground, and after picking up the message Don had left on her cell phone, everything seemed to be coming up on the side of the good guys.

Don's voicemail asked if she could come down to the station and pick up Katie, as he was going to be heading into an interrogation. She eagerly got into her car and headed straight to headquarters.

Walking into the bullpen, she easily found her way to Don's desk, where he was going over some evidence reports. She sat down on the edge and crossed her legs, her husband glancing up and grinning at her arrival.

"I'm guessing things went well from the look on your face," he surmised.

"Astute observation, Detective. Indeed they did," she confirmed. "Where's Katie?"

"Up in the Crime Lab. Adam's keeping an eye on her. We're bringing in Caravaggio's cousin."

She raised her eyebrows. "I'd be happier if it were the man himself, but I guess this is a step in the right direction. I'll go get our daughter and leave you to your interrogation. I'm going to stop by and see Mark on the way home but then I've got work to do so we'll be there whenever you get done."

"Okay. I honestly don't expect this to take too long. The guy's probably going to have lawyered up before he gets here and we don't have enough to hold him right now."

"All right. Good luck." She leaned down and kissed his cheek, the hopped off his desk and turned to head out. She stopped in her tracks as a uniform walked through the entrance of the pit with Gaetano Parezi and his lawyer.

Don stood up and followed his wife's gaze. "Noli?"

She looked at her husband. "I know him."

"Parezi? How?"

"Well, I mean, I've seen him. Yesterday. He followed me up in the elevator at _Moda Bella_." She shivered slightly as she caught his eye.

Gaetano Parezi smirked as the uniformed officer led him past the couple.

Instinctively, Don stepped in front of his wife and shot the man a glare. "You sure?" he asked his wife over his shoulder.

"Positive."

Don looked at Noelle then. "Go on and get Katie, all right? I'll see you at home."

She nodded, eager to be anywhere but in the same vicinity as a Caravaggio. "Be careful, baby."

Don watched his wife walk out then pulled out his cell and called Mac. He was going to need the former Marine's steady temper to keep him from doing anything to jeopardize the investigation once he got into the same room with Parezi.


	49. Second Watch

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"I all done," Katie announced, thrusting her empty sippy cup at Adam.

The beleaguered lab tech glanced up from the hard drive he was struggling to pull information from to find the little girl in front of him, her stance demanding attention. "Okay. Why don't you go colour some more?"

Katie furrowed her eyebrows. "Uh-uh."

"Uh, how 'bout you look through one of your picture books then?"

She shook her head. "No. What dat?" she asked, looking at the laptop on the table in front of him.

"It's a computer. It has important information on it, and if I don't find a way to get the information _off_ of it, Mac's so going to make me work overtime. And it's Friday night, and Kendall and I were going to try that new Thai place, then…" He trailed off as he took in Katie' perplexed expression. "Never mind. Here." He pulled her up onto his lap so she could watch what he was doing.

While Adam hit a few key strokes, Katie watched the screen then looked down at the keyboard. "One, two, twee, fo, five, six, se'en, eigh', nine…" She pointed at the numbers on the keypad as she named them one-by-one.

"That's really good, Katie. You're pretty smart, aren't ya? What comes after nine?"

She grinned up at him. "Ten! 'leben, twel', sirteen…" She stopped, scrunching her nose in contemplation. When she couldn't remember what came next, she just said, "We go see Daddy now?"

"Your old man's kinda busy right now, kiddo. But this is pretty boring, huh? Okay, c'mon. Let's go find something more fun to do."

When Noelle stepped off the elevator on the thirty-fifth floor a while later, she was not quite sure where to start looking for her daughter. All Don had told her was that Adam was watching her. She wandered aimlessly through the corridors which, to her, seemed like a maze, glancing through glass walls to no avail.

She was looking into the Trace Lab with a furrowed brow when Danny turned the corner, intently studying the contents of the file folder in his hand and nearly knocking her over. "Oh, hey, Hansen. Slummin', are ya?"

Noelle laughed softly. "Actually, I'm looking for my kid. Any clue where I might find her?" she asked.

Danny considered, "Uh, I think Mac said earlier that she was in A/V with Adam. I'll help you find her." As he guided her through the hallways, he glanced over at her. "How'd it go at the magazine?"

"Good. They're not selling. The editor-in-chief said she already had a weird feeling about it, but after I told her what I knew, she was determined not to let the deal go through. Think Don will get anywhere with Carlos' cousin?"

"I doubt he'll roll over on him, but ya never know. Ah, there they are." He nodded towards one of the layout rooms. Adam had Katie sitting up on one of the tables, and he was fingerprinting her. Danny pushed open the door. "What are you doin' to the kid, Ross?"

"She was bored," Adam explained with a shrug.

"Hiya!" Katie greeted happily holding out her ink-covered hands.

Neither Danny nor Noelle could help but laugh at her exuberance. "Well, at least we know that if she's ever picked up, she won't mind being processed," Danny kidded.

"Hug, Mama!"

"As soon as we get your hands all washed. Did you have a good time with Adam?"

The little girl nodded with a smile. "I had app' juice and I colour and count an' look!" She pointed to the pages on the table that now bore her little fingerprints.

"I see. Well, how 'bout we get you all cleaned up then we can go and visit Uncle Mark?"

"No, I stay," Katie announced.

"I know you'd like to stay, honey, but we have to let Adam and Uncle Danny get back to work."

"Hey, Katie? You like it here at the Lab, huh?" Danny asked, anticipating a tantrum.

She nodded.

"How 'bout I talk to Mac and maybe you can come spend the day with me and Linds and Adam sometime, huh?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded more vigourously. "'k, Unca Danny!"

"All right, I'm on it. In the meantime, you gotta go with your ma, okay? Your pop's doin' something real important so he's probably gonna be a while and I think your ma even said something about goin' to see your Uncle Mark. Man, that's pretty cool. I bet you can see the whole city from his office."

Katie grinned and held out her arms to her mother to lift her down.

Noelle looked at Danny gratefully after she placed her daughter's feet on the floor. "Thanks."

He shrugged. "You realize you got a lab rat in the making there."

She ruffled her daughter's hair with a smile. "A lab rat, a hockey player, an artist…She's got the world at her feet." She looked at Adam. "Thanks for watching her."

"Sorry 'bout the ink," he apologized, noticing a little on Katie's jeans now, too.

"It's probably better than the finger paint Don let get on the dining room wall. Thanks again, guys. We'll see you."

Katie waved goodbye then let her mother lead her out.

Danny picked up the fingerprint pages from the table. "I'll give these to Don. I been a cop long enough to know it's a good idea to have 'em around."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"We confiscated 4.2 million dollars' worth of illegal firearms from a warehouse that's in _your _name. If I were you, I'd start talkin' Parezi," Don suggested, his arms crossed in front of him as Carlos Caravaggio's cousin sat across the steel table beside his lawyer, his expression a combination of defiant and amused.

"A _company_ my client owns purchased that space. Mr. Parezi was unaware that there was anything illegal going on in that the warehouse, let alone that the property was even still in his possession," the attorney responded. "You should be speaking with the current C.E.O. of –" He lawyer leaned over to Parezi and conferred for a moment in hushed tones. "—ah, CVG Enterprises."

"CVG, huh? That company's been busy." Don pulled out one of the steel chairs and sat down beside Mac. "Likes to have its hands in everything, it seems. Trafficking illegal weapons, fashion magazines, software development companies…"

Flack noticed _something_ flash behind Gaetano's eyes at the subtle mention of _Moda Bella_ and Mark's firm, though it quickly faded. However, the seasoned detective was able to glean that Carlos' cousin had not expected them to have connected the Caravaggios to those two buy-out attempts yet. He straightened up in his chair a little.

"Gaetano, if you start telling us what we need to know, we may be able to work something out," Mac advised.

"We have nothing against _you_," Don added. "But you keep doing the dirty work for your cousin, and _you're_ the one who's gonna end up in Rikers while Carlos walks around a free man, spending all the money you've made for him."

Gaetano's eyes narrowed a little.

Don fought back a smirk. He had hit a nerve. "All that hard work, huh? You do all the wheeling and dealing and Carlos gets to walk away with the cash, spending it on whatever the hell he pleases. Hardly seems fair, if you ask me. Especially considerin' you're the one with all the brains, but he's the one callin' all the shots. I mean, Carlos is pretty much a taco short of a combo platter these days, right? He's all distracted, and irrational. Askin' you to arrange the purchase of a fashion magazine? What the hell would three boys from South Brooklyn want with a fashion magazine?"

Gaetano's steely gaze did not waver, his eyes locked on Flack's.

"Oh, and, by the way, that deal ain't goin' through. _Moda Bella_ is on to you, and so are we. You really gonna let Carlos take you down with him?"

"Are you going to ask any pertinent questions here, Detective, or is my client free to go?" Gaetano's attorney demanded.

Don glanced over at Mac.

"As we speak, we have some of our best forensic accountants looking through all of your financial records. Now, as I said, you start talking and maybe we can work out a deal. Otherwise, you and both of your cousins will be holding your next family reunion in prison."

Gaetano said nothing. He looked over at his attorney as if telling him to handle this and get him out of there.

"My client has nothing else to say at this time. So, either file charges or we'll be leaving."

"You're free to go," Mac said. "But I'd advise you not to leave the State. And I'd suggest you tell your cousins the same."

Gaetano stood up, buttoning his suit jacket back up as if he had just finished a business meeting. "If you have anything to say to Carlos or his brother, you'll have to do it yourself. But good luck finding Carlos." With that, he stalked out of the interrogation room, his attorney in tow.

Don slammed his hand down on the table. "Son-of-a-bitch."

"Think he was telling the truth? About Caravaggio being in the wind?"

"Carlos has become obsessed with Noelle. From showin' up where she is to sendin' her flowers and tryin' to buy things that are connected to her. There's no way he's just gonna give up. Parezi knows that. That's why he's distancing himself."

"But not enough to give us anything."

"They're still blood. Besides, he's afraid of incriminating himself. He is definitely the brains of the organization." Don sighed. "I know that bust yesterday closed everything down. I mean, we pretty much accomplished what the Task Force set out to do. And I should be happy about that. But as long as Caravaggio's out there, Mac, I'm not gonna be able to sleep at night."

"Go home, Don. Get some rest. Take care of your family. There's nothing more you can do here right now. I'll let you know when we've got something."

"Thanks, Mac." Don stood and walked out of interrogation, heading back to the pit. He smiled when he saw Katie sitting on the edge of his desk chattering away to her mother who was standing at her side. "Hey. What are you guys still doing here?"

"Well, Adam decided to fingerprint our daughter and it took me forever to get all the ink off her hands," Noelle explained. "I saw that guy leaving as we stepped off the elevator, so I figured you were just about done. Was I right?"

He nodded. He grinned down at his daughter. "You ready to go home?"

"Yay!"

He chuckled, picking her up in his arms. "All right. Let's go."

"Can she go with you? I'm going to stop by and see Mark."

"Sure, no problem. C'mon, cutie."

Don walked his wife out to her car. They stood by her sedan chatting for a few minutes, then he kissed her goodbye. He and Katie both waved as she drove off, then he noticed his daughter looking wide-eyed at the ice cream shop across the street. He laughed softly. "It's cold out, sweetheart. You really want ice cream?"

"Choc'late!" she pleaded.

"Okay. Okay. Since you didn't get that cake yesterday, we'll get some ice cream. You gotta share with your old man, though."

"'k."

Don and Katie shared a chocolate cone, with more ice cream dripping down the little girl's hands than actually making it into her mouth. Amused, he cleaned her up as best he could, knowing a bath was first on the agenda as soon as they got home, then led her by a slightly sticky hand back across the street. He picked her up and carried her through the revolving doors back into the lobby of 1 Police Plaza to grab the elevator down to the parking garage.

"Hey, what are you two still doin' 'round here?" Danny asked as he stepped off the elevator and literally nearly ran into the duo.

"Hey, man. Uh, Noli went to visit her brother on the way home, so I took Katie over to Mason's for some ice cream."

"It's February, kiddo," Danny teased the nearly two-year old. He looked back at his best friend. "I was just going to leave these prints Adam took on your desk. Thought you might want to hang onto 'em."

Don took the folder with the pages of fingerprints. "Thanks, man."

"So, Mac said you didn't get too much outta Parezi."

"Think we rattled his cage a bit, but we had nothin' to hold –"

Danny's phone buzzed upon receipt of a text message. He pulled the phone off his belt and looked at the screen, his expression cutting his best friend off.

"What is it?"

"Lansing just called in shots fired at an office building in Manhattan."

Don furrowed his brow. "Spell this out for me 'cause I ain't likin' the look on your face."

"Lansing and Ruffalo are second watch on Noelle. You recognize this address?" Messer asked, holding up his phone for Don to read the message.

The homicide detective paled. "Yeah. Mark's office is in that building."


	50. Endgame

**A/N **Wow – chapter 50! When I started writing this back in October, I never anticipated I would make it this far. Thanks to everyone who has been faithfully reading Don and Noelle's story. I really appreciate all the encouraging and kind words. The current "storyline" will come to an end, but I promise much more to come!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Noelle stepped off the elevator on the sixteen floor of the downtown skyscraper and headed straight for the reception desk. "Hey, Ana. Is my brother in?"

Her brother's admin assistant looked up at her with a smile. "Hi, Noelle. He's actually in a meeting, but he should be done soon. Why don't you go wait outside his office?"

"Thanks." Noelle wandered down the hall and took a seat on the leather sofa outside Mark's office. She picked up one of the magazines on the glass table, then shook her head as she realized that it and all of the others was gaming mags. She threw the pages down, wondering how she and her brother could be so different and yet so much alike. He had always called her a closet "mathie." That despite her protestations to the contrary, even though she graduated with an Arts degree as compared to his B.Sc., inside she was as logical and methodical as he was. She used to be offended when he suggested it, thinking he was insulting or discounting the creativity she treasured, but over the years, she had realized that he was right. And as she sat back on the couch, she hoped he realized that though Don might be her hero these days, Mark had held the title first right there along with their father.

"—dare threaten her!"

Noelle furrowed her brow at the rise of her brother's voice inside his office. Something didn't sit right. Her brother did not share her temper. It used to piss her how he would not engage when she tried to pick a fight. She and Jen had laughed about, as his wife suffered the same frustration. So Noelle knew that he had to be incredibly angry to have yelled as he did. And what had he said about a threat? She stood up and walked to the door, trying to make out what was being said or who he was speaking to, but she heard nothing more. She brushed her hand against the door knob, but then stopped herself. The past few weeks had just made her paranoid, she reasoned, and her brother would certainly not appreciate her interrupting a business meeting, she reasoned.

Biting her lip, she hurried back down the hall to Ana's desk. "Who is Mark meeting with?"

"I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure? You're his assistant," Noelle rebuked impatiently.

Ana was a little taken aback by her tone and the accusations behind it. "I went down to get a coffee and when I got back, Mark's door was closed. I called him and he just said not to disturb him because he was taking care of some business," she explained defensively.

Trusting her instincts, Noelle headed back and after only a moment's hesitation, she opened the door to her brother's office and walked inside. She had been expecting to find Gaetano Parezi with Mark. However, what she had not expected to find was the Caravaggio cousin with a gun trained on her brother as he stood behind his desk. "Jesus," she gasped.

"Noli, get outta here," Mark ordered.

Noelle had heard details so graphic they had left her traumatized when she was twelve, but she had never witnessed violence first-hand. The experience of learning about her mother's rape had taught to her to keep things like that at a distance. When Don regaled her with stories of the job, she was able to detach herself, listen as if hearing someone outline the plot of a movie. But this was real. And she should have been terrified. But instead, she was angry. This entire family had kept her husband tossing and turning at night, had worried her brother, had worried _her_ and left her and Katie with a police detail 24/7. They were not about to take anymore from her – especially not her brother. "You do realize there are two policemen right downstairs," she said to Gaetano. "You do anything and there's no way you'll make it out of this building alive."

"The irony of it all is that Carlos never meant you any harm," Gaetano replied over his shoulder, his gun still pointed at Mark, as if he had not heard her warning.

"And my brother and I have never wished any upon him or any member of your family. So put the gun away and walk on out of here. Please."

"Sorry, sweetheart. Unfortunately, your brother here has stumbled upon information he shouldn't have, and I gotta make sure it goes no further than this room."

"I already told you," Mark cut in. "You leave my sister alone, and I forget everything I know. My loyalty is to her, not the NYPD."

"How touching. Yet the NYPD was your first call."

Noelle studied Gaetano. His hand was shaking slightly and she realized he was not as confident as he was letting on. She guessed he was not used to this part of the job, that he was the brains and business savvy behind Carlos' bluster and brawn. She also guessed that he was feeling the walls closing in after Don's interrogation, and probably had not really thought all of this through. "You think Carlos is going to thank you for this?"

"I'm not really concerned right now with what Carlos thinks or does. He stopped acting in the best interest of this family, because of _you_, which means I'm no longer acting in _his_ best interest." With that Gaetano turned and aimed the gun at Noelle.

Her eyes widened and darted over towards her brother. His gaze tried to tell her that everything would be okay, but her quickening heartbeat was beginning to convince her otherwise. If only she could will Don to know that something was wrong. Where was her phone? Oh yes, in her purse, out in the hall on the couch where she had left it when she had stalked down to Ana's desk.

Mark kept his eyes glancing between his sister and Parezi as he leaned down slightly and tried to gingerly open the top drawer in his desk. As cautiously and quietly as he could, he slid the drawer open, wishing he had not buried his gun beneath papers and other objects.

Noelle tilted her head slightly, wondering what her brother was doing.

Gaetano narrowed his eyes and glanced back at Mark, quickly turning the gun back on him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Mark straightened back up. "Nothing, man. Look, let my sister go and we'll hash this out. But if so much as a hair on her head is touched, those cops downstairs will be the least of your worries."

Being reminded of the police presence just added to Gaetano's already teetering stability. He was not a big man and Noelle appraised him while his gaze remained back on her brother. Her mind reviewed every self-defense technique her husband had taught her in the time they had been together.

Mark glanced over at his sister and could see the wheels spinning in her head. His protective nature wanted to scream out at her to not even consider whatever it was she was planning. However, he had learned a long time ago never to underestimate his sister's strength – physical or mental. And he quickly realized that the loaded gun in his desk drawer had nothing on Noelle. "I'm impressed, man," Mark said then.

Gaetano cocked his head slightly. "With what?"

"How well you buried a lot of the transactions. I always thought I was a decent hacker, but it took me a long time to follow all the dead ends, make sense of the trails."

Gaetano smirked slightly. "You don't know the half of it."

Seeing him relax a little, Noelle stepped a little closer, shifting a bit to her right to keep her out of his line of sight.

"No, I bet I don't. And I don't want to," Mark said. "As for what I already found out, the NYPD can't use any of it. I'd go to prison for the way I obtained it long before you ever got there. I'm no threat to you. Trust me. I've spent some time behind bars. I ain't going back."

This seemed to intrigue Parezi and his shoulders lowered a little more, though his gun remained pointed right at Mark.

While Mark kept Gaetano's focus on him, detailing his drug use and his arrest and nights in lock-up, Noelle plotted everything out in her mind, quickly trying to assess each possible outcome. Damn, this was what Don got paid to do. And as her husband came into mind, so did her daughter. And realizing that Katie had almost accompanied her, her rage grew at Gaetano for putting her in this position. And with that thought, she felt a surge of courage. She moved and before Gaetano knew what hit him, she was knocking him to the ground, setting off the gun as his hand hit the floor.

Noelle jumped at the sound of the gun shot, but before Parezi could get back up or retrieve the gun that had fallen out of his hand with the kick-back from the shot, Mark had his own gun out and aimed at him. "Jesus, Mark!" she exclaimed, shocked by the sight of a pistol in her brother's hand. "What are you doing with a gun?"

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don jumped out of the SUV before Danny had even shifted it into park. He ran for the front entrance of the building, flashing his badge at the security guard who dared to stop him. Inside the lobby, the found a uniform speaking with the woman he recognized as Mark's assistant. He rushed over. "What the hell happened? Where's Noli?"

Before either of them could respond, the elevator doors opened and Lansing emerged with Parezi in cuffs.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Don yelled, charging at Gaetano.

Danny rushed in and held his best friend back. "Easy, man. Don't screw this up," Messer warned, stepping into the unfamiliar territory of being the voice of reason.

Don knew he was right and let Lansing lead Parezi past him. Lansing reached out and clapped Don on the shoulder, letting him know in that one move that his wife was just fine and he felt the tension ease from his body. "She upstairs?" he asked.

Lansing nodded. "Yeah, she and her brother are still up in his office. She's okay, Don. You might actually want to think about gettin' her on the force," he added with a shake of his head, continuing on his way out.

Flack could not fight back the grin that crossed his face.

A couple minutes later, Danny and Don were wandering down the hall to Mark's corner office, where they found Noelle and her brother speaking with Officer Ruffalo. Seeing her husband, Noelle ran over and practically flung herself into his arms.

Don held her tightly. "You okay, doll?" he asked into her hair.

"I'm fine," she assured him, holding onto him.

Danny narrowed his eyes as he walked past them all. "Do I even want to know?" he asked, pointing to the bullet lodged in the window at his knee level.

Don grudgingly released his wife as she pulled back to see what Danny was referring to. He did not really care about anything other than the fact that Noelle seemed to be in one piece, but still followed their gazes. "Lousy shot," he muttered.

"That's from the round he got off as Noelle tackled him to the ground," Mark explained proudly.

Don looked back at his wife. "You _what_?"

She bit her lip, anticipating a lecture.

Instead, Don took her face in his hands and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. "You're crazy," he proclaimed as they came up for air.

"A little. But it's just one of the reasons you love me," she replied with a small smile.

"You're shaking. We should get EMS –"

"No, no, I'm fine," Noelle assured him.

His arms pulled her back against him as he looked over at his brother-in-law. "What about you, man? You all right?"

Mark nodded. "I'm good."

Back at the station a couple hours later, Noelle and Mark had both given and signed their statements, while Gaetano was processed and led to a holding cell awaiting arraignment.

"He'll probably be out on bail within twenty-four hours," Don explained to Mark as he walked him out. "But unless he's really stupid, he'll start talkin'. Listen, you sure you don't wanna come hang out with us for a while?"

"Nah, thanks, but all I want right now is to go home and spend some time with my wife. You know, honestly, I almost didn't go into the office today since Jennie was feeling so sick, but if I hadn't – God, I don't want to think about it, but he could've come to the house. Erin could've been there, or Katie…" Mark shook his head as if ridding himself of the thought. "Take care a' my sister, huh? She's tough when she needs to be, but she's going to need you when this all hits her."

"You got my word."

The two shook hands, then Don saw his brother-in-law off before he returned inside the precinct. He took the elevator up to the Crime Lab where Noelle had already headed to retrieve their daughter once again. He quickly found her sitting in one of the visitor's chairs in Mac's office, watching Katie as she napped on the couch. Don just watched them both for a moment, the past few days catching up with him, and relief washing over his entire being that today had ended up the way it had. With a weary smile, he walked over to his wife and laid a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Supergirl. Let's go home."


	51. La Famiglia

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Gaetano Parezi groaned slightly as he walked into the family room in his brownstone. The past sixteen hours had been interminable and his body ached from the time he had spent in lock-up. All he wanted was a shower and to sleep the rest of the day away in his own bed.

"Rough night?"

Startled, Gaetano reached for the switch to the lamp on the end table, although he already knew who was there. However, he was not prepared to find his cousin sitting there casually in the armchair with a gun aimed at him. "Jesus, C. Where the hell have you been?"

Carlos scowled. "Doing damage control. Where'd you think I was, dear _cugino_?"

"You left without a word."

"I was securing alternate transportation for what product we had left. It seems you and Vincenzo forgot that we had buyers to whom we are still accountable."

"You sent me to a meeting –"

"At the magazine? Yes, because you _are_ in charge of our legitimate ventures, are you not? And wouldn't it look just a little bit suspicious if we suspended _all_ of our business the same day we took a hit?" Carlos shook his head. "You don't think, Gaetano! You seem to believe that you have all the brains in this family, yet you allowed yourself not only to be questioned but you did something so incredibly _stupid_ that the police now have grounds to throw you in prison!"

Carlos had not lowered his gun, so Gaetano hesitated to move. He widened his stance slightly, trying not to betray the fact that he was actually a little nervous. "I don't know –"

"You think I wouldn't find out that you threatened Noelle? That you held her at gunpoint? You think I would allow that type of behaviour to go unpunished?" Carlos did not raise his voice. Instead, he kept it low, his tone even, and he almost smirked at the fearful expression of that quickly crossed his cousin's face. "Why should I treat you any differently than any other person who betrays me?"

"I did nothing to betray you or this family, Carlos. If anyone has done anything questionable, anything to put this family at risk, it has been you," Gaetano argued. "You have been so obsessed with this woman that you allowed our livelihood to be threatened."

Carlos quirked an eyebrow. "I _allowed_? Someone turned on us, Gaetano. And he will be taken care of as soon as I find out who he is. But that's how the NYPD got the information they did. And because of your foolishness, they have been armed with more. If anyone has become a liability, it is you. So give me one good reason not to put a bullet through your skull."

"We're family."

Carlos laughed. "Family? You think that makes you exempt?"

"You never had a chance with that Flack woman, C. And you jeopardized everything we have achieved –"

"_We_? _Who_ rid us of the entire Milagro family and their allies? _Who_ successfully aligned our family with those controlling the Eastern seaboard? What have _you_ really done, _cugino_?" Carlos eased himself out of the armchair and came to stand a few feet away from his cousin, his gun still aimed at him.

"You can't kill me, Carlos. _Zio Armando _was my mother's brother. We are blood. That means something."

"It means nothing to me."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Noelle poured herself another cup of coffee, so lost in thought that she did not notice the hot liquid flow over the edge of the mug.

"Whoa, there," Don said, snapping her out of her thoughts as he grabbed the coffee pot out of her hand.

"Damn it," she muttered. She grabbed the dish cloth draped over the faucet and started sopping up the spilled coffee as Don set the pot back on the burner.

As Noelle rinsed out the dish rag, Don wound an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Some."

"Nightmares?"

She nodded slowly.

"You shoulda woken me up, doll."

"You needed sleep more than me, considering you'd gotten maybe two, three hours the two nights before." She shut off the water and wrung out the cloth, then laid it back over the tap. With a sigh, she turned to her husband, sliding her arms around his neck and looking up into his clear, blue eyes. "Do you have to go anywhere today?"

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Nah, I'm not goin' anywhere. I was thinkin' we could just curl up on the couch, watch a couple movies, read with Katie…Maybe call Mark and Jen? See if they want to bring Erin over later and hang out?"

She smiled. "I love you."

"Yeah? That's good 'cause I'm sure crazy 'bout you." He leaned down and kissed her gently. Feeling her respond, he eased her up onto the counter and moved in between her legs, taking her face in his hands and deepening the kiss.

Noelle moaned. "Katie's…playing…in her…room," she reminded him between kisses.

"Talk about a buzz kill," he teased her as he pulled away.

She laughed softly. "Why don't you go check on her and I'll give Mark and Jen a call?"

He nodded, kissing her forehead gently before he headed down the hall to Katie's room. He pushed the door open and found his daughter on the floor, playing with a toy school bus that doubled as a puzzle. She was working on putting the various pieces in through the different-shaped holes on the roof, an intent expression on her face. "Hey, cutie."

"Hiya," she greeted, glancing up with a smile. She held out a piece for him.

He walked over and sat down on the floor next to her, then pulled her onto his lap. "I don't know. This looks pretty complicated."

"I help you," Katie assured him.

Don chuckled at her innocent offer. "Okay, you help your old man."

Hours later, Mark and Jen arrived with their daughter, and the two young girls were soon cozy in Don and Noelle's bed watching _Cars_ for the millionth time with as much exuberance as the first. In the living room, the adults settled, the women with cups of tea and the men each with a beer in hand.

For a while, the conversation was light, Mark and Don discussing the Rangers poor performance as of late, while Noelle and Jen chatted about a new play that had just opened up off-Broadway that they were both dying to see. However, when a quiet pause fell over the group, Noelle took a deep breath and looked at her brother. "You sleep last night?"

He gave her a half-smile. "Probably as much as you."

Jen, sitting next to her husband on the couch, put a hand on his knee. "I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Yeah, well, mostly thanks to Noli's kung fu moves," Mark said, his tone teasing though the weight of truth underlied his words.

"I guess it pays to live with a cop," she replied, glancing across the room at her husband.

Don smirked.

"Well, you're both in one piece, and that's all that matters," Jen remarked. "Especially considering…"

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "Considering what?"

Jen glanced at Mark, who nodded with a smile, taking her hand. She looked back at Noelle. "I'm pregnant," she admitted with a smile.

Noelle took in the news and soon shrieked with delight. "Are you serious? Oh, my God, guys, this is the best news! Congratulations!" She jumped up and offered her best friend a hug, then kissed her brother's cheek. Sitting down then on the arm of the chair where Don was seated after he offered his own congratulations, she said, "Should've guessed it was morning sickness."

"And afternoon, and middle of the night…" Jen laughed. "I had my suspicions, but I just had it confirmed yesterday."

Noelle looked at her brother. "You told Mom and Dad yet?"

He shook his head. "No. Soon. We were actually going to wait a while to say anything to anybody, but after yesterday, we had to tell someone. You were the obvious choice."

"I'm so happy for you guys. What about Erin? Did you tell her?"

"We told her last night. Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't burst in here this afternoon and tell you already. She's so excited. Ever since Katie, she's been begging for her own little brother or sister."

Noelle and Jen were soon talking names and nursery colours and about all the things they would have to buy if the baby was a boy. Meanwhile, Don flipped on the hockey game and he and Mark moved on to discussing the merits of getting tickets to one of the upcoming home games and the chances the Yankees had this year with Spring Training around the corner.

"Don, your phone," Noelle cut in, hearing the text message alert.

"I thought I shut the damn thing off," he sighed, getting up and heading into the kitchen where he had left it. Finding the offensive object, he flipped it open, his eyes widening as the read the incoming text message from Chief Bowery: _Parezi's dead. Warrant out for Caravaggio. Take the weekend. You've earned it._

"Everything okay?" Noli asked as she brought the empty tea cups into the kitchen and set them in the sink.

"I, uh – I'm not sure of all the details, but – Gaetano Parezi's dead and there's a warrant out for Carlos' arrest," Don explained a little incredulously.

"What? How?"

"I don't know. Bowery didn't say anymore. Just told me to take the weekend."

"I'd feel better if Carlos was in custody, but this feels like a step in the right direction. Like it could really be over." She wrapped her arms around her husband, leaning up to kiss him gently.

"How're you doing, babe? This all really hit you yet?"

Noelle shrugged. "In the grand scheme of things, I'd rather think about the fact that I'm about to be an aunt again, and that I've got you and Katie, and Mark and Jen are happy…"

"Mommy! Daddy! 'gain!" Katie exclaimed, running into the kitchen.

Don glanced at his wife. "Explain to me how she can watch the same movie over and over again and not get tired of it?"

"Asks the man who practically wore out the instant reply button on the DVR controller during the Super Bowl. C'mon, munchkin, your daddy hasn't heard 'Life is a Highway' nearly enough…"


	52. Tears

**A/N **Thanks to Leena7 who pointed out that my jumpy mouse erased the end of the sentence detailing that Carlos was seated aiming a gun at Gaetano in the last chapter. I went back and corrected the error, and you're an astute group, so I'm sure those of you who read the chapter shortly after it was posted were able to piece together from the rest of the scene that there was a gun involved. This will teach me to stop posting late at night LOL

Sorry also for the long delay in posting. Easter is usually my busiest time of year, so there probably won't be another chapter up until next week unless I miraculously find some time to write. Thanks for the patience of those of you still following the tale.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"We're here, Pop!" Don called as he walked through the front door of his parents' house with Katie's hand holding tightly onto his. 

"And we wead stories?" Katie asked, looking up at her father hopefully.

He crouched down in front of her and unzipped her parka with a reassuring smile. "Yep, I packed all your favourite books. But I bet if you ask, Grampa will tell ya all sorts of stories." He managed to get one of Katie's arms out of her coat before his father started to descend the stairs. 

"There she is!" Jump greeted with a broad grin, one reminiscent of his son's.

The little girl giggled excitedly. "G'ampa!" 

"There's my favourite Katie! Do I get a hug?"

She tugged her other arm out of the sleeve of her coat and jumped into her grandfather's arms as he reached the landing, hugging him tightly. 

Don Sr. picked her up and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks for takin' her, Pop. Jen's been really sick and Noli could really use the rest. I really appreciate this."

"Ah, no problem at all, son. Your mother and I have been looking forward to having Katie come stay with us. We're going to have lots of fun the next couple days, aren't we, cutie?"

Katie nodded excitedly.

Don Sr. set the little girl back down on the floor then looked at his son. "Can you come in and sit?"

"Yeah, I got a few minutes."

They got Katie settled on the floor with some of her toys, then Flack and his father sat down together on the couch.

"How's Noelle?" Jump asked after appraising his son with some concern.

"Mummy sad," Katie piped in, not even looking up from the puzzle she was working on.

Don furrowed his brow. "The kid's not even two and she's got more insight than me," he muttered. 

"Donnie, give the girl some time. We're both trained officers and still find it difficult to stare down the barrel of a gun. Noelle's an innocent civilian who walked into her brother's office for a visit and found herself face-to-face with a gangster holding him at gunpoint. It's going to take some time to process."

"But she won't talk about it, Pop. Every time I ask how she's doing, she says 'fine' and changes the subject, but I know she's not fine. I mean, it's my first week back on rotation and I got stuck on afternoons, so I've barely seen her. But I know she's left the house every morning this week without eating anything. And she's been asleep every night by the time I get home, but she's gotten up at least the last two in the middle of the night to go and write." He took a breath. "And then there's this completely irrational part of me that's so pissed off at her for taking such a stupid chance. I mean, what if things had gone the other way?"

Don Sr. looked at his son sympathetically. "You can't think about the what if's or it will drive you crazy. And you can't be angry at Noelle for doing the same thing you woulda done or you're gonna have a rough road ahead. It's a two-way street, this marriage business, and trust me, my boy, you'll be making a lot more of those kind of decisions before you get your gold watch and take your pension."

Don leaned forward and rested his head in his hands for a moment. Finally, he glanced back over at his father. "What do I do? Do I call her out? Do I just sit back and wait?"

"When has a Flack ever sat back and waited for anything?"

Don chuckled softly at that in spite of the seriousness of the conversation. 

"So, what about Caravaggio? Any leads on his whereabouts?"

"Nah, nothin' yet. Except the financials we got our hands on suggest there was a large withdrawal the day before Parezi was killed. My guess, he and his brother are lyin' on the beach in some non-extradition country right now. We've got a warrant out for his arrest so he's gotta know that if he shows his face around here, he's finished. But just to be safe, I convinced the Chief to keep the detail on Noli until we can get something more concrete. The last thing I want is for her to feel even more vulnerable than she already does."

"Do you remember when you were about ten or eleven, and your mother and I packed you kids all up and drove to D.C.?"

"Yeah, sure. We spent like four or five days there, checkin' out all the monuments and the museums."

"I'd just made detective the year before. One of the early cases I worked involved a professional hit, and we were pretty sure just which wiseguy was behind it but we didn't have enough evidence to make an arrest. One Saturday, your mother took Ellie and Laura shopping while I stayed home with you and William. When they got home, your ma was pale as a ghost. Laura had gone missing while they were in the department store. She was found pretty quickly, but when your mother was checking her over, she found a note in her pocket. Twenty years later, I still remember the black lettering that simply read, 'Next time, you might not get her back.' The next afternoon, I packed you all up and drove." Jump glanced over at his granddaughter, amusing herself with a puzzle on the floor. "But that was the first and only time I ran. Donnie, doin' what you do, there's always going to be a threat out there. And unfortunately, all you can do is try your best to protect your family. But even with forty years on the job, I still believe that justice prevails. You know, three days after we got back, Billy Mancini was arrested and charged with murder and he died four years later in prison. And I now have two sons- and daughters-in-law that I love like my own children and nine wonderful grandkids."

Don considered everything his father had just said. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"There's a time and place for everything, my boy. You'll learn that now that you have a family of your own."

He nodded. "Thanks, Pop. I know what I gotta do now. But right now, I gotta get to work. Thanks again for takin' care of Katie."

Don Sr. reached over and patted his son's cheek. "You know that your mother and I are here whenever you need us. You and Noelle. You give that girl our love, you hear?"

"I will, Pop." Don gave his father a hug, then got up and walked over to Katie. He knelt down beside his daughter. "You be a good girl for Gramma and Grampa? But if you wanna talk to me or your mommy, you just tell them and they'll call us on the phone, okay?"

"Ah, we'll be fine, won't we, Katie? We're gonna have lots of fun," Don Sr. assured his son with a wink for his granddaughter.

"We dwaw picsures?" the little girl requested.

"Oh, we're going to draw pictures and read stories and maybe even go outside and build a snowman…"

"Yay!" 

Don kissed the top of her head, then stood, shaking his own head a little incredulously. "All right, I'll leave you to it. See ya on Saturday."

Hours later, Don walked in through the front door of the apartment with a heavy sigh. He was exhausted. Although afternoons were better than nights, three days in he had not yet made it home until close to midnight. As he glanced at his watch, he saw that it was just after. He had expected to walk into a darkened and quiet home as he had thus far this week. Instead, the floor lamp was glowing in the living room and he could hear the clicking of the keys on Noelle's laptop. He divested himself of his overcoat and shoes, then pulled off his suit jacket as he wandered down the hall into the living room. "Figured you woulda been in bed long ago," he commented, walking over and greeting her with a gentle kiss.

"Hey, baby. I couldn't sleep," she said simply. "Figured I'd follow my muse." She saved her work and set her computer on the coffee table as Don sat down next to her on the couch.

"Katie settled in at my folks?" he asked, pulling her legs up across his lap so he could move in a little closer.

"Yeah. I called about eight to say goodnight and she was too busy reading with your dad to even come to the phone," Noelle laughed. 

"Yeah, Pop was so excited when I dropped her off. He's definitely got a soft spot for that kid." He leaned over and met her lips. As he pulled back, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering by her cheek. "You even try going to sleep?"

She shook her head slowly. 

"You ready to talk?"

"It's the middle of the night."

"Yeah, well, you seem to find an excuse no matter what time it is, so since you're up and I'm up, maybe now's the time."

She furrowed her brow and looked away.

"You've been trying to pretend that everything's fine, Noli, but it's not. You're as tough as they come, doll, but you're still human. You saw a gangster hold your brother at gun point, then you tackled the creep to the ground and discharged his gun in the process."

She shivered a little at the memory.

"I'd be worried if all of this _didn't _mess with your head, babe. And maybe I can't help you. Y'know, maybe it would help for you to talk to someone else and that's fine with me. But you can't keep goin' on as if nothing happened."

Noelle took a deep breath.

"No?"

"I keep seeing it. Every time I close my eyes, I'm back in Mark's office and Gaetano has his gun aimed at him. My head was racing the whole time. I kept thinking about you and Katie and how after everything I'd been through I finally had everything I'd ever dreamed of and I didn't want to lose it. And I thought about how much Mark loves Erin and Jen and – and what it would do to Mom and Dad if they lost either of us...And God, I didn't even know about the baby then! If anything had happened to Mark…" She crumbled and for the first time in the five days since it had happened, she cried.

Don gathered his wife in his arms. Although it hurt him to see her upset, he was relieved by the display of emotion. And for a long time, she just sobbed against his shoulder and he knew that all he could do was hold her. He also knew that one set of tears was not going to stop the nightmares or bring an end to the what if's that could not help but plague her thoughts. 

"I didn't mean to shut you out," she finally said quietly, holding onto him. 

"You just wanted it to go away. I know, babe. But trust me, it ain't that easy."

She pulled back then and looked at him. "How do you do this? I mean, how do you see the things you see and not let it get to you?"

"Some things you never get used to seeing. And some things you'll never understand. And I'll be honest with ya, I learned a long time ago how to get by with little sleep. But you know what helps? Havin' you to come home to and to hold when things are really dark. Getting hugs and kisses from our little girl. 'Cause Katie's all that's real and innocent in this world and she reminds me why I do what I do."

Noelle offered a small smile. 

"I love you, doll. And I'll do whatever you need me to do to get you through this."

"I think you just did it."

"You wanna try and get some sleep?"

She nodded wearily. 

"C'mon…" He stood up and pulled her up to her feet, then took her hand and led her down the hall to their bedroom. And for the first time in days, Noelle was actually asleep when her alarm went off in the morning.


	53. Go With Me

XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY

**A/N **Just a little bit of fluff for this long weekend. Happy Easter everyone!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Three words, Hansen. Not. A. Chance."

Noelle rolled her eyes at Danny as she finished setting up her shot, then she pulled back the queue and sent the stripe into the corner pocket. She smiled proudly as she straightened up and picked her drink up from the edge of the pool table. "You were saying?"

Don laughed. "You should've learned by now, Messer. Never underestimate my wife." He held his hand out and accepted the twenty dollar bill Danny grudgingly passed him, then kissed his wife's temple. "Nice job, babe."

"Yeah, well, I had a good teacher." She leaned up and kissed him, and both of them forgot for a moment that they were in the middle of Sullivan's on a busy Saturday night.

"Okay, okay, what's with the PDA? You'd think you were still newlyweds or somethin'," Danny muttered.

Flack flashed his best friend a dimpled grin as he slipped an arm around his wife's waist. "We are. And you're just ticked 'cause your wife's spendin' the night with Craddock and Hawkes."

"Shut it, Flack. All right, you gonna give me a chance to win my money back here or what?"

"He's a glutton for punishment," Don said to Noelle.

"You two go ahead. I'm going to go call your folks and say goodnight to Katie." She leaned up for one more kiss before she slid through the crowd and out of the bar to make the call.

Don watched her, shaking his head with another grin before looking back at his best friend. "Rack 'em, Danno."

"You are way too disgustingly happy. And if I recall correctly, I gave you a month. Now, I was lenient, and I extended it to two. But time's up. The grin's gotta go. It's hurtin' my teeth," Messer chided him.

"Cut me some slack, here. It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing, what with the whole homicidal mobster makin' eyes at my bride thing."

"You really gonna pull that whole homicidal mobster thing?" Danny kidded, bringing his beer bottle to his lips and taking a long pull. "Okay, fine, I'll give ya that. So, Hansen, she really doin' okay?"

Don nodded. "Yeah. She's actually slept most of the past few nights. And she's been writing a lot so I think she's found an outlet for all the emotion and everything. She, uh – She gave her two weeks at Fisher-Mathews yesterday."

Danny quirked an eyebrow. "No kiddin'."

"Yeah, well, she was gonna wait until the first issue of _Moda Bella_ came out, but we talked it over and decided a few weeks isn't gonna to make much of a difference. It'll be good for Katie to have one of us around all the time, and Jen's havin' a really hard time watchin' her all day with the way she's been feelin'…And fact is, Noli was never cut out to be a corporate warrior. She's got too much creative energy in her." He picked up his Guinness from the edge of the pool table and knocked back the remaining liquid. 

"Looks like things are falling into place, man."

"I'd feel better if Carlos Caravaggio was in a cell somewhere, but yeah, finally, feels like things are 'bout as normal as they're gonna get."

"How'd she react about the whole dog thing?"

"What dog thing?" Noelle asked as she returned to her husband's side.

Don cleared his throat, scowling at his best friend.

Danny shrugged innocently, but could not resist shooting Flack a wry grin as he took another pull from his beer bottle. 

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, Don, what's goin' on?" Messer mocked.

Ignoring Danny, Don looked at his wife. "So, uh, yeah, Rick called. He's been offered this three month undercover assignment. Great opportunity."

"Sounds exciting. What's that got to do with – Oh, no, don't say it. He asked if we could take Rocco?" Noelle concluded.

Don nodded. 

"Donnie…"

"C'mon, Noli. Katie loves that dog. And Rocco's got this big soft spot for her. I mean, Strong could take him but he's working crazy hours and Rocco'd have to share space with another dog. One of us will be around most of the time, and Katie would be in heaven…" 

Noelle narrowed her eyes. "And you already told him yes, didn't you?" 

Don hesitated. 

"Without talking to me first? Great. Where the hell are we going to put a German shepherd? We're already starting to trip over each other as it is. Now my home is going to smell like dog. Did you even think this through?"

Danny leaned back against the pool table, watching the entire exchange with an amused smile. This almost made up for having to spend another night with his wife working an opposing shift.

"Doll, it's not going to be that big a deal, I promise. You'll hardly even notice he's there. Katie and I'll walk him –"

"Katie's a month shy of two, Donnie. _You _will walk him. You'll clean up after him. And so help me, if that dog breaks _anything_…"

"I swear, sweetheart, it'll be fine. Just go with me on this."

"Uh-huh."

"You want another drink?"

"Yeah. Better tell Frankie to put an extra shot of B&B in there."

The next afternoon, Noelle walked in through the front door after picking up Katie from her in-laws' to be greeted by a barking, panting German shepherd. 

"Wocco!" Katie exclaimed excitedly. 

"Here, sweetie, let me get your coat and boots off then you can play with Rocco, okay?" Noelle pleaded.

The little girl bounced on her feet impatiently as her mother unzipped her parka and eased it off, then she flung her arms around her favourite dog. In response, Rocco licked her face. And as Don joined them in the entry way, Katie looked up at her father. "Dada! Wocco here!"

"He's gonna live with us for a while. Is that okay?" Don asked with a smile.

Katie's eyes lit up even more if that was even possible. "Yay!"

"Are you going to help Daddy take care of him, honey?" Noelle asked.

"I help! I help! Wocco stay?"

Noelle glanced up at Don with a pointed look. "Yep, he's going to stay." She turned back to her daughter, pulling the overly-excited toddler over against her. "Let's get your boots off and you can show him where he's going to sleep."

"My woom!" 

Noelle rolled her eyes. She got Katie's boots off, then watched helplessly as the little girl took off with the large dog in tow. She stood up and removed her own coat and kicked off her shoes. 

"Thanks, babe," Don offered.

"Yeah, well, don't think I'm not going to use this at some point in the future."

"You know, I've been thinking about what you said last night, you know, about us trippin' over each other 'round here."

"Me, too. Maybe we should think about looking for a three-bedroom."

"What would you say to us lookin' instead for a house?" Don suggested.

"I'd say it's a great idea but there's no way we can afford it right now considering I just quit my job." She walked past him and headed into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of tea.

Don followed and leaned against the door jamb, just watching his wife for a moment. "I worked it out. I think we can swing it," he finally said.

"You were able to find a house we can by for a hundred bucks, huh?" she teased him.

"Seriously, doll. It's not out of the question. I wasn't exactly squandering my paycheque the last fifteen years."

She set the kettle on the stove top and turned on the burner, then leaned against the counter and appraised her husband. "You're serious."

He nodded. "I'm serious."

Noelle bit her lip. "It would be nice to have a real house, a little backyard for Katie –"

"—and Rocco."

She crossed her arms in front of her and looked at him suspiciously. "I thought this was just a three-month assignment for Rick."

"Give or take a couple weeks. Probably. You know how these things go."

"No, really, I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

"Well, it's just – You know, might run over. He's deep cover."

"Donald Flack, Jr., did we just adopt a dog?"

"That, uh – It depends. Am I gonna be sleepin' in the guestroom in our new house if I say yes?"

Before Noelle could respond, Katie came running into the kitchen with her new playmate at her heels. "Mama! We go ou'side?" she requested. 

"Ask your father," Noli glowered a little.

Katie looked at Don hopefully.

"Sure, cutie. Let's show Rocco his new neighbourhood." 

Katie ran out into the hall to wait to get her coat and boots put back on.

Don looked at his wife a little sheepishly. "So, yeah, uh – I left the real estate section open on the coffee table."

"I'll go see if I can find one with a dog house." As she walked past him, she muttered, "and not for Rocco."


	54. Making Adjustments

A/N Happy Easter, all

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Oh, God, Donnie…" Noelle sighed as her husband's hands roamed along the contours of her body, his mouth traveling down her neck as they made love.

Don met her lips with a searing kiss and she arched into him, and all the tension of the past few weeks vanished as the two lovers got lost in one another. And after, as he held her close in his arms, there was a sense of contentment, of ease, that neither had felt since the whole situation with the Task Force had started.

"Hmm. I like this," Noelle smiled, her fingers fidgeting with the silver chain around her husband's neck.

"Yeah. It's nice comin' off a night shift and actually gettin' to see ya."

She looked up at him. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you get some sleep and I'll go grab a shower before Katie gets up?"

"No, stay," he replied, his arms tightening around her as he placed a kiss against her temple.

"Long tour?"

"No more than usual. It just amazes me how stupid some people are."

She leaned up and kissed him gently. "Exactly why you need to get some rest. Besides, I have to take Katie in for her check-up. But maybe this afternoon once you're up we can do something together."

Finally feeling the pull of sleep, Don nodded and muttered, "Sounds like a plan," as his eyes closed.

Noelle shook her head with a smile and slid out of bed, amazed out how quickly the man could go from attentive lover to dead weight as she pulled on her robe. She walked over and gingerly opened the bedroom door, but her attempts to be quiet failed miserably as she nearly tripped over Rocco who had decided to sprawl across the floor right outside the door. "Jesus Christ!"

"No?"

"Damn dog! Rocco!" she grumbled.

The large German shepherd looked up at her with a perplexed expression and a bit of a whimper at having his own rest interrupted.

"Ah, sorry, babe," Don apologized as he got out of bed, pulling on his pajama pants and a wife beater as he came up behind her to find out what she was cursing about. "I took him out when I got home. Guess I forgot to let him back into Katie's room."

"He couldn't curl up somewhere in the living room?"

"He probably heard us," Don smirked. "You weren't exactly being quiet."

Noelle shot a scowl over her shoulder at her husband. "Great. He's a voyeur."

He laughed. "C'mon. He's a good dog. Admit it. You like having him around, doll."

She scrunched up her nose. "He's always underfoot."

"He's just protective. He's a police dog."

"He smells," she continued, her arguments sounding more and more half-hearted.

"No, he doesn't. Not that bad, anyway. I mean, he actually likes to have baths. He's easier to get into the tub than Katie."

Noelle looked down at Rocco who was now appraising her with wide eyes. She sighed. "Fine. Maybe he's not _that_ bad. It is kind of nice knowing he's here when you're gone all night."

Rocco got up from his prone position and sat up in front of Noelle, rubbing his head against her leg.

Don reached around her and patted the dog's head. "Good boy."

"A bit of an ego on him, isn't there?" she teased. "That an NYPD thing?"

"Very funny. All right, I'm goin' to bed now." He leaned down and kissed his wife's cheek, then went back to crawl into bed.

Noelle let Rocco back into Katie's room, where he had quickly made himself quite at home upon moving into the apartment with them. She then managed to take her shower and get half a cup of coffee into her before her daughter decided to wake up and greet the day.

"No!" Katie protested as Noelle attempted to get her hands and face washed after breakfast.

"Shh, sweetheart. Daddy's sleeping."

"I no want," the little girl continued, pulling her head back when her mother went to wipe the milk off her face left behind from her attempt to feed herself her cereal.

Rocco came padding into the bathroom and looked at the two as he panted.

"Rocco likes to have baths and get _his_ face washed," Noelle said, hoping it would convince her daughter.

"Wocco? 'k, Mama."

Noelle laughed at how easily the girl caved at the mention of the dog, finished washing Katie up then patted the dog on the head. "I guess you are a good boy, huh? All right, sweetheart, let's get you all dressed and off to your appointment, and we can let Daddy sleep in peace."

"No, Daddy come. I get him," Katie said, dashing off down the hall to her parents' bedroom and opening the door before her mother could stop her. "Dada!"

Don groaned as his daughter jumped up onto the bed.

"You come Mommy me, 'k?" the little girl pleaded as she knelt up beside her father.

Don, who had been sprawled out on his stomach and sleeping somewhat soundly, squinted against the hint of sunlight slipping into the room as he opened his eyes and looked at his daughter. "Hey, cutie. What's goin' on?" he asked sleepily.

"You come wi' us."

"Wait, Rocco!" Noelle exclaimed as the dog then padded off past her and joined his best friend up on the bed. Noelle leaned against the doorframe, looking over at her husband apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Donnie. Katie, come on, you need to let your father sleep, sweetie."

The toddler pouted. "No, he come, too! Wight, Daddy?"

Don sat up, waving off his wife's apologetic gaze. "Tell ya what, cutie. You go with your mom now, and then when you guys come home, we'll go to the park, okay? We'll take Rocco and go play with his tennis ball since it's getting warmer outside."

"You no come now?" she asked sadly.

"Nah, not right now, sweetheart. Your old man worked all night so he needs some shut eye. But you go be a good girl for your ma, okay?"

Katie let out a dramatic sigh, but finally let her dad give her a hug then jumped down off the bed with her dog in tow.

"I'll be right there, Katie." Noelle waited for their daughter and canine protector to disappear off down the hall, then she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry. She kind of got away from me."

"It's okay, babe. We're all just going through a bit of an adjustment period, right? She's not used to you not having to rush off to work in the morning or you guys even still being here when I get off shift. We just have to find some new routines. She'll get it. Just give her some time."

"We're spoiling her, now that one of us will be around all the time."

"It's a good thing, Noli. Most kids don't get that. We're lucky we can give her that. And y'know, it'll work in our favour when we start lookin' into adopting another one."

Noelle bit her lip. It was the first time Don had brought that up since they had been married. "You still want to?" she asked quietly.

He reached over and took her hand. "Of course. Look, I know things have been crazy lately and we haven't really talked about it in a while. But I've been thinkin' about it a lot, you know, especially since Jen told us she was pregnant."

"I know, me too."

He flashed her his dimpled grin. "Great minds."

"I guess we should figure out the whole house thing first."

"Hawkes gave me the name of an old friend who's a real estate agent. When I get up, I'll give him a call. Then once we've got the space thing figured out, I think we should start doin' whatever it is we need to do to give Katie a sibling."

Noelle smiled ecstatically and threw her arms around her husband. "You really are the best!" She kissed him gently, but finally pulled back and touched his cheek. "And I'm so getting in the way of you getting any sleep, aren't I? Okay, go back to sleep. I'll get Katie out of here so you can have some peace and quiet."

"Honestly, baby? Our kid wakin' me up with her dog jumpin' on the bed, that's about as good as it gets."

"Yeah, we'll see if you're singing the same tune at the end of this rotation. Sweet dreams."

He winked at her, his hand working its way up her thigh. "I'll just replay the homecoming you gave me a couple hours ago."

She playfully swatted his hand away. "Don't you dare look at me like that."

He chuckled. "So, am I forgiven? You know, about the whole dog thing?"

"I guess. Just promise there'll be no more making any life altering decisions without consulting your wife, huh?"

"You got my word. Scout's honour."

"Speaking of that earlier homecoming, you're no boy scout, Donnie," she grinned. "But I'll take your word for it anyway."


	55. Real Estate

**A/N** **I let myself get too run down after last week so of course I'm now sick. But I figured in my feverish state, I would indulge myself in this AU world I've created LOL**

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Queens Village? Really?"

Noelle scrunched her nose as Lindsay handed her a cup of tea then sat down beside her on the living room couch. "It's a nice area," she replied.

"Well, yeah, I guess. It's just –"

"On the other side of the world?" Noli sighed, taking a sip of her tea.

"No, you know what? It's not that bad. And you're right, it's a beautiful area. And the house looks amazing."

"And I checked, it's in one of the best school districts."

Lindsay picked up the listing sheet Noelle had brought over from the coffee table and read it over again. "Wow. We're really grown-ups, aren't we?" she asked then. "Married with kids, looking at houses, worrying about school districts."

Noelle laughed softly. "I know. And there's more. Even bigger."

"Bigger than buying a house?"

Noelle bit her lip, having a hard time containing her excitement. "We, uh – Once we've got the whole house thing figured out, we're going to start looking into adopting another baby."

"Oh, my God! Really? Sweetie, that's the best news I've heard in a long time! Oh, that's so great." Lindsay gave Noelle a big hug, as excited as her friend was. "When did you guys decide to do this?"

"Well, we had talked about it even before we got married, but Don brought it back up last week once we started talking about the house. And I don't know – Everything's just kind of falling into place now, you know?"

Lindsay smiled. "I'm so happy for you and Don." She glanced over at Katie who was sprawled out on the floor with a new puzzle. "Katie's going to be such a great big sister."

"I know. You know, she's already such a blessing. And when she first came into my life, I thought things couldn't get any better. Then I met Donnie. I mean, Linds, I had seriously given up on finding anyone. I just…" She furrowed her brow.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if it doesn't bother him just a little that he'll never have a biological child. You know, a little Flack with his big, blue eyes."

"Let me tell you something, No. Doing what Don, Danny and I do, we've all learned that sometimes biology doesn't mean anything."

"I guess."

"And trust me, Don would not have wanted you to suffer any more physical pain that you already did just so he could pass on his blue-eyed genes."

"You're right. I really need to stop looking for drama where there is none."

"Hey, considering what's gone on lately, it's not surprising."

Noelle could not help but smile then. "I suppose life with a homicide detective is never going to be whatever the definition of 'normal' is, but it feels like we're getting about as close to it as we can. All that stuff you dream about when you're a little girl, you know? A house in the suburbs, a couple of kids, a _dog…_"

"Yeah, how's that dog thing going?"

She rolled her eyes a little. "Promise you won't tell Donnie?"

"What?"

"I really like having Rocco around. I mean, he's really protective, especially of Katie, and he's such a great playmate for her. But he's also really sweet. When Don's at work and it's just us, he likes to come and sleep at my feet."

The two women continued to chat over their cups of tea until Katie, having grown bored entertaining herself, finally got up and wandered over. "Lindy?"

"Yes, Katie?"

"I play wi' Livvie now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie, but both Olivia and Matteo aren't feeling that well so I think we'll let them sleep a little while longer, okay?"

Katie furrowed her brow. "I can give hugs."

Lindsay smiled and pulled the little girl up onto her lap. "You know what? I bet Liv and Matt would really appreciate that so as soon as they wake up, you can give them both a big hug, okay?"

Katie nodded. 'k."

"Were they up all night?" Noelle asked sympathetically.

"Liv was, and God bless Danny 'cause he stayed up with her. I feel bad for whoever ends up working with him today because I bet he's being a bear."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Queens Village? You kiddin', man? You might as well move to Toronto," Danny scoffed, glancing up from his crouched position over the city's newest homicide victim.

"You got thirty-two mill to loan me for that condo in Brooklyn I found?" Don countered. "C'mon, it's a nice house. Three bedrooms, finished basement, eat-in kitchen, front and back yards…Katie and Rocco will have tons of space to play outside…"

"Sounds…domestic."

"You think I'm sellin' out, don't ya?"

"You get yourself a mini-van and that's it, we're through."

Don scowled.

"Christ, Flack, tell me you didn't already!"

"No, no, of course not."

"Good. 'Cause that happens and I'm not sure we can be friends anymore. _That's _sellin' out."

"What's going on?" Stella asked as she joined the two detectives in the bedroom of the tiny Bronx apartment.

"Flack's movin' out to the 'burbs."

"Could you maybe not sound like it's some sort of indictable offence there, Mess?" Flack shot back.

Stella quirked an eyebrow.

"Queens Village. C'mon, it's not like it's the middle of nowhere," Don argued, his brow furrowed as if convincing himself as well.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, Noli and I found a house we like. You know, we're tripping over each other in the apartment, and it would be nice to have a yard for Katie and – you know, any siblings she may have."

Stella grinned. "Wait, are you guys thinking of adopting another baby?" she asked excitedly.

Don nodded then with a small smile. And as he was reminded why they had started looking for the house in the first place, he found himself relaxing at the thought.

"Flack, that's wonderful! I'm so glad everything's working out so well for you two."

"All right, all right, enough with all this. We have a job to do," Danny grumbled.

"What's his problem?" Stella whispered to Flack.

"Opposite shifts with Linds for the past two weeks. And the twins are teething. Think it's starting to get to him," Don explained.

"I'm still in the room," Danny barked.

Don chuckled. "I'm going to go finish my canvassing."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Wocco!" Katie greeted their dog happily as they walked through the front door of the apartment.

The dog barked a couple times before licking Katie's face excitedly.

Noelle could not help but smile. She reached down to pet the dog's head a few times before helping her daughter out of her jacket and shoes. "There you go, sweetie. You know, I think your hugs made Olivia and Matteo feel lots better. You think your mommy could get one of those hugs?"

Katie giggled and let her mother hug her tightly.

"That's my girl. Now, why don't you go get one of your books and I'll read a story with you?"

"'k. Come Wocco."

Noelle watched Katie and Rocco rush down the hall towards the little girl's room, then she wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She walked over and glanced out the dining room window. She smiled, the absence of the squad car on the street below a reminder that things really seemed to be heading in the right direction. If only she had not developed a tendency a long time ago to think that when things appeared to be too good to be true, they usually were.


	56. So Complicated

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"There's no way my sister's moving to Queens," Mark scoffed. "Jen's brother-in-law's sister's a real estate agent. I'll get her to look for some stuff for you around Van Cortlandt Park."

"Whoa, whoa, Mark, I didn't tell you this so you could find me something else," Noelle argued. She sat back in the visitor's chair in his office, trying to keep her mind focused on their discussion and not let it wander to the last time she was inside the room.

"Okay, maybe Van Cortlandt's a little far. How 'bout East Tremont? Or Mott Haven? Uh, Hunts Point?" He pulled out his Blackberry and started scrolling through his contact list, his face set with determination.

"Mark!"

He suspended his search and glanced back at his sister. "What?"

"You know, Don grew up in Queens. He turned out okay."

"You'll be almost an hour away."

"Mark, we're not looking for anything else, okay? We already put in an offer. Now, would you look at the listing already? It's a beautiful house. Just gorgeous. It doesn't need much work and there's a great elementary school just two blocks away. The neighbourhood is wonderful. It took us thirty-five minutes to get out there from the apartment. Oh, and we can actually afford the place. Yeah, that was kind of a selling point."

"Noli, if this is about money, I'll help ya out."

"Mark, it's not about the money. It's about Katie having a yard to run around in and me having a real kitchen. And there's a den. I'll actually have a space I can devote to writing."

Mark furrowed his brow. "You told Mom and Dad about this yet?"

"Yes. Last night. And guess what? They took it much better than you are right now. What's up with this, huh?"

"You're moving to the other side of the world."

She smiled. "I am not. I'm just moving. Mark, you don't need to protect me anymore. Let yourself off the hook."

"Well, does Don have any word on Caravaggio?"

"No. But I'm sure _he's_ on the other side of the world. I don't want you worrying about him. I'm not."

Mark sat back and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe my little sister is all grown up and buying a house."

She smirked. "In Queens Village, no less."

He rolled his eyes.

"_And_, Donnie and I are starting the process to adopt another baby."

Mark took in the news then laughed softly. "You always were the competitive one, weren't ya, Noli?" he teased her.

"No worries, big brother. Your little bundle will be here long before anything becomes a reality for us. Although, I'm hoping everything goes as smoothly this time as it did with Ekaterina."

"I wouldn't think there should be any problems, right? Don's got a good job with benefits, _Moda Bella_'s offering you decent money, you've got a house with –" He glanced down at the listing sheet. "—ah, yes, three bedrooms and an eat-in kitchen."

"It's a nice house."

"It's a nice house, Noli," he relented. "Even if it is on the other side of the world."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Julianne." Don jumped up off the bench and quickly fell into step beside the beautiful, young woman as she maneuvered her way through the busy halls of the courthouse.

"Don Flack. What are you doing hanging around Family Court?"

"I was waiting for you, actually."

Julianne Christopher stopped walking and looked at the detective a little impatiently. "None of my open cases involve a homicide so what do you want?"

"I, uh – I need some advice."

"Then look in the Yellow Pages." She turned on her heels and started walking again.

"Ah, c'mon, Jules. It's been like, what, five, six years? How many times do I got to say I'm sorry?"

She stopped again with a sigh. "What do you want, Don?"

"Look, I've done some checking. You're near the top at OCFS now."

Julianne hesitated for a moment, especially as her gaze fell on the wedding band on his left hand. "I heard you got married. Who's the girl that finally snagged Donald Flack, Jr.?"

"Her name's Noelle," Don replied with a wistful smile. "And we have a daughter. Katie. She'll be two next week. She's adopted."

"There problems with the adoption?"

"No. Noelle got her from the Ukraine before we'd even met. Everything was finalized over a year ago."

"Then I'm not sure what you need me for."

"We want to adopt another child."

"I'm sure your wife knows all the ins and outs by now. And you've always been one to be thorough. You need a home study, Don. But first you need to decide what type of –"

"I know all of that, Jules. What I don't know is if it's going to hurt us that my wife and daughter were under protective detail while they were being stalked by a sociopathic killer who is still out there somewhere."

Julianne took a deep breath. "Carlos Caravaggio?"

He nodded.

"I read about it in the papers – Well, I guess not all of it. Listen, Don, I'll be honest with you. If that's really what happened, it won't help. You're a good cop," she said grudgingly. "Maybe even one of the best on the force. But there's the every day risk of being an officer out in the field and then there are extraordinary circumstances. If your family has been pulled into it –"

"The NYPD does not consider Noelle to be in any danger anymore. The protective detail has been lifted," he explained.

"But the reason for it is still at large."

Don furrowed his brow.

"Look, I'm just playing devil's advocate here."

"Noelle's a damn good mother. I'd be a good father," he argued.

Julianne softened. "Six years ago, I thought you were just like the rest, but obviously you're not. Or at least, you've changed. But Don, I don't know what to tell you. I can't bend the rules for an old friend nor ask anyone on my staff to."

"That's not why I tracked you down, I swear. I'm not askin' for any favours. I just wanted your take."

"Listen, you've got friends in high places these days, right? Get Chief Bowery to re-order a threat assessment. Get it in writing that your wife is considered to be low-risk. Keep a low profile yourself for a few weeks. Then call my office."

"Thank you, Jules. I really appreciate your honesty." He turned to head out.

"You really love her, don't you?" she asked after him.

He stopped in his tracks and turned, walking back over to her. "You have no idea. She's taught me a lot. And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry, you know, about what happened with us back then."

Julianne let out a breath. "If I'm honest with myself, it wasn't all you. I guess I was a little bit of a badge bunny back when we were…involved. I probably shouldn't have expected any more than I got."

"You didn't do anything. Until I got caught in that explosion, I was definitely the kinda guy my daughter will never be allowed to date," he kidded.

She laughed. "You know, if there is any justice in this world...! Take care of yourself, Don."

Don walked the couple blocks back to 1 Police Plaza and headed into the pit, slumping down in the seat behind his desk, to be joined only minutes later by Danny.

"Hey, Flack – Oh. Man. What's wit' you?" Messer asked, sitting down uninvited in the visitor's chair.

"What?"

"You look like someone died. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing. Just – This whole adoption thing might not be as cut and dried as I hoped it might be." He pulled out his cell phone and stared at it. "And why the hell hasn't the real estate agent called? We put in that offer almost twenty-four hours ago."

"He'll call. What's goin' on with the adoption?"

Don sat back in his chair with a sigh. "I was talkin' with someone from OCFS. She confirmed that everything that went down with Caravaggio might hurt our chances of passing a home study right now."

"C'mon, Caravaggio's probably on some island in the South Pacific right now. He'd be a damn idiot to show his face in the U.S. again, let alone this city. Look, we'll just get the brass to order a new threat assessment and you get somethin' in writing –"

"Yeah, that's what Julianne suggested."

Danny's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Julianne? As in Julianne Christopher? That chick you dated like six years ago? The one that never forgave you for not callin'? That Julianne?"

"Yeah."

"Are you stupid? Talkin' to an ex about havin' a kid with your new wife?"

"What? She's headin' up OF –"

"She's headin' – It doesn't matter if she's the freakin' president of the freakin' country! Chicks get all weird about things like this."

"You're an idiot," Don muttered. He sighed then. "You ever worry that Olivia and Katie could end up with guys like us?"

"Liv's entering a convent when she turns fourteen," Danny replied matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, let me know how that works out for –" Don's cell cut him off and as soon as he saw the number on the call display, he brought the phone to his ear. "Tell me you got good news, Troy."

"You got the house, Don. Congratulations!"

Flack grinned broadly and took down some notes as the real estate agent provided some details and instructions, then he hung up his phone and looked at Danny. "We got it. I can't wait to tell Noli."

"And so it begins," Danny muttered, shaking his head as he stood up. "The transformation from supercop to soccer pop. At least I can say I knew you when."


	57. Before

XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Look, I know it's a little disappointing, but it's just a temporary set-back. I mean, by the time we've moved and settled into the house, we'll be good to go," Don explained.

Noelle took in the news as her husband sat down next to her on their living room couch. She bit her lip in contemplation for a moment before finally nodding. "Okay."

"You're upset." It was an observation, not a question, and something he had anticipated. There was a gallon of her favourite Dutch chocolate frozen yoghurt in the freezer that he had brought home in preparation for this very reaction. It would go well with the champagne he had also brought to celebrate their new house.

"No, I'm fine." She smiled. "One thing at a time, right? We got the house."

"Yeah, we got the house." He leaned over and kissed her.

"Our first house. Wow. I mean, we actually bought _a house_. Like, with a roof and everything."

There was a hint of awe in her tone and suddenly the magnitude of the purchase hit Don as well. "Jesus, Noli, we just bought a house."

"In Queens Village."

"But I do get to buy a lawn mower," he said suddenly.

"We have to buy a hell of a lot more than a lawn mower, Donnie."

"A snow thrower! We should get –"

"It's almost April. I don't think you need to worry about a snow thrower. But something tells me we're going to be spending a lot of time around Home Depot, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll need power tools," he said seriously.

"Uh-huh." She moved closer, running a hand down his chest, loosening his tie and nimbly unbuttoning the buttons on his shirt as she went. "I think it's sexy, the image of you wielding a power tool."

He smirked.

She blushed wildly. "I didn't mean –"

He just grinned then met her lips and pulled her onto his lap. "You know, we'll have a lot of rooms to christen…"

"I can't wait." She leaned down and kissed him languidly.

"When's your ma bringing Katie back?"

"Not 'til morning. "

He captured her mouth with his, then he stood with her still wrapped around him and headed off for the bedroom. "Ah, just a sec. I forgot something," he said as he dumped her unceremoniously on the bed.

"Donnie!" she yelled after him in frustration, more than a little worked up. She pulled off her sweater and was wriggling out of her jeans when she heard a loud "pop" out in the living room. She smiled, realizing he had gone to get the bottle of champagne.

He quickly returned with the bottle in hand and knocked back a swig right from it.

Noelle rolled her eyes but still took the bottle from him and took a sip herself before settling back and watching her husband strip off his suit, finding herself nearly gasping at the sight of the sinewy muscles that graced his lean frame. It had become a familiar sight yet still never failed to turn her on.

Don moved down beside his wife, taking the champagne bottle back and helping himself to another swallow before setting it on the bedside table. He kissed his way down her body, his fingers tracing over the scars left behind by her past surgeries.

She grasped his hands feeling self-conscious and drew him back to her.

"You know, one day you're just going to have to accept the fact that I think you're the hottest woman in the world, scars and all," he said, his voice low.

She looked away as her cheeks filled with colour.

Don just smiled as he brought his lips to hers. He made love to his wife languidly, having the luxury of time since Katie was staying with Noelle's parents for the night. Then after, she lazily pulled on his shirt while he grabbed some sweats and an old t-shirt and they returned to the living room with what was left of the champagne.

As Don retrieved the carton of frozen yoghurt from the freezer along with two spoons and joined his wife on the couch, she raised an eyebrow. "You got something against glasses and dishes all of a sudden?"

"Just until we get a dishwasher in the house. It's on the list right after the lawn mower."

"And a swing set for Katie. You can assemble it with your power tools." She accepted a spoon and took a scoop of her favourite from the carton. "So, tell me everything this contact of yours at OCFS said."

Don took a breath. "Basically what I already told you. That in light of everything that happened recently and the fact that you and Katie were under protective detail for a few weeks, a social worker might not sign off right now. But Julianne suggested I get the Chief to run another threat assessment. And if we can get it in writing that the NYPD no longer considers your safety to be at risk, then our chances go up."

Noelle considered. "All right. Well, the house closes in six weeks, so we'll wait, like you said. Hopefully by then, we can start again, right? She thought it would be okay then?"

He nodded.

"Well, then, in the grand scheme of things, what's a couple more months? Moving is always stressful, so it's probably better we get that out of the way first, anyway. Then, once we're all settled, we can turn our focus to adding another member to our family." She took another bite of the frozen yoghurt while Don picked up the bottle of champagne and knocked some back. "This would all be so much easier if I could just get pregnant."

"Doll, don't start doin' that to yourself. This is the way things are – and do we really got any right to complain? I mean, Katie's the greatest kid in the world, right? It doesn't matter that she doesn't share our DNA. She's still ours. And out there is some other child who we're gonna love just as much. Who's to say that even if you could get pregnant, we'd be able to do it or there wouldn't be some other complications we don't know about."

She nodded, touched by the poignancy of his words. She fed him a spoonful of the ice cream, then moved in for a kiss. "So, uh – This Julianne, your contact at OCFS. How do you know her?"

Don would have choked on the frozen yoghurt had he not already swallowed. Suddenly Messer's voice was in his head: _"Are you stupid? Talkin' to an ex about havin' a kid with your new wife?"_ For being one of the NYPD's best detectives and brilliantly street smart, he had no idea how to answer his wife's question. "Just – She's just an old acquaintance," he finally replied.

Noelle considered his words. "I guess, unfortunately, that OCFS gets involved in your cases sometimes. Although you probably dealt with them more when you were on the streets, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, you two worked together then?"

"A couple times. It was a long time ago." He cleared his throat. "You, uh – You want any more of this?"

She shook her head and watched as he got up and took the ice cream container back into the kitchen. She took a deep breath. "Did you, uh – You ever go out with her?"

Don returned to the living room, running a hand through his hair. "It was a long time ago," he reiterated simply.

"Is that a yes?"

He hesitated.

"Don, it's okay. I know there were women before me. I might not like to think about it, but I know."

"Yeah, we went out a few times," he finally admitted.

She just nodded. "Do you want pizza for dinner? I could go for some pizza."

"Noli…"

"What?"

He sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. "You're right. There were a few women before you."

She looked away.

"_But_, I never felt anything remotely close for any of them like what I've felt for you from the very beginning," he assured her. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to go out with the guy I was back then. You deserve a lot better than that."

Noelle sighed. "Just tell me there aren't like hundreds of 'em out there."

"Sweetheart, far as I'm concerned, my life started when I walked into Sullivan's one night last year and this really hot girl nearly spilled her drink all over my suit. The only thing there were hundreds of was nights spent waitin' for you to walk into my life."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, God, that was really cheesy."

"But kinda romantic?" he kidded.

"Not enough to get me back into bed. At least not before you order me some pizza."

"We'll see about that." Don leaned over and captured her lips, kissing her deeply. However, he was soon being poked in the ribs with the cordless phone and finally he pulled back with a furrowed brow.

"Ray's. With extra pepperoni," his wife demanded, handing him the phone.


	58. Handymen

**A/N **This chapter is completely gratuitous, and I make no apologies LOL

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Here you go, man," Don said as he stepped through the sliding glass doors onto the back step and handed Danny a bottle of beer.

"Thanks. You couldn't have picked a day that wasn't hotter than hell to do this?" Messer complained, gratefully taking a long pull of the cold beer. His t-shirt was half-soaked through, and even behind his shades he was squinting against the sun.

Don ignored his best friend's grumbling, taking a swig from his own beer bottle before wiping the sweat off his brow with his other forearm. He had left his Academy t-shirt inside, clad now in just his jeans and an undershirt, amazed himself at how hot the April afternoon had grown. "At least it's not raining like it was on Saturday. C'mon, I think we can finish this within the hour if we get goin'. We might even be able to get the new fence started."

"What time's Mac showin' up?"

"Should be –"

"Daddy, I play now?" Katie pleaded as she appeared in the open doorway.

Don walked over and crouched down in front of his daughter and the dog panting at her side. "Just a little while longer, cutie. Then you and Rocco can play all you want out here, okay?"

She glanced past him at the swing set and slide that were now half-assembled, her eyes wide.

He grinned at her awe-struck expression. "It's gonna be pretty cool, huh? Your own swing? We won't have to go the park anymore, you can just come out here and Mommy or I will push ya."

She nodded excitedly.

"I promise it won't be too much longer. Why don't you go see what your mommy and Aunt Lindsay are up to for now, okay, sweetheart?"

Katie nodded and headed back into the house.

Don grabbed his sunglasses off the picnic table and put them back on, ready to finish the task at hand if only for the reward of seeing that smile on his little girl's face. "You wanna grab that two-by-four and we'll see if we can't get this thing done before my kid gives herself an aneurysm?"

Don picked his cordless drill back up then he and Danny got back to work on assembling the backyard jungle gym, while inside, Lindsay and Noelle put the finishing touches on the extra bedroom upstairs, the twins playing on the floor in Katie's room across the hall where the women could still see them.

"Katie, be careful, sweetie!" Noelle called as she heard her daughter ambling slowly up the stairs with her dog in tow.

"Daddy not done," Katie explained with a pout once she reached the door to the guest room.

"Oh, honey, just give him and Uncle Danny a bit more time. They need to make sure everything is safe for you," Lindsay assured the two year old. "Can you be a big girl and go check on Olivia and Matteo for me?"

"'k, Lindy." Katie skipped across the hall and joined her two friends.

"I love the colour of this room," Lindsay commented as she put the cap back on the wood filler she had been using for the nail marks along the baseboards.

"Ever since I saw the twins' nursery the first time I knew I wanted a room this shade," Noelle explained.

"I can't believe how quickly you guys have gotten everything done."

"We've had a lot of help. I mean, it was like half the NYPD was here to help us move on Saturday. Then between Jump and Dad calling every day asking what they can do, and me not having rush off to work, and Don showin' off…" Noelle grinned then. "He's gone all handyman. He's turned into this, like, super hot version of Ty Pennington. I mean, frankly, it's a complete turn on."

Lindsay giggled. She took the opportunity to glance out the window down onto the backyard. Seeing her own husband working in the sun to assemble the swing set, his own t-shirt now laying on the grass, his biceps covered in a layer of sweat, she understood exactly what her friend was talking about. "Hmm. I know just what – Holy Crap!"

"What?"

"Uh, is it wrong to think your boss is hot?"

Noelle smirked. "Not if you're talking about Mac." She rushed over and joined her friend at the window, raising her eyebrows as Mac walked into the backyard. His usual suit had been replaced with a tight navy blue t-shirt and jeans, a simple pair of black shades adorning his face. "Damn."

The women were still giggling like tenth graders moments later when Katie came back across the hall and appraised them both with a perplexed expression. "Mommy silly!" she finally exclaimed.

Noelle and Lindsay both just broke into another fit of laughter. Noelle finally composed herself and scooped her little girl up in her arms. "You'll understand one day, sweetie. Though if you father has his way, it won't be 'til you're about thirty-five."

"It's too bad Stel's working," Lindsay said. "If she saw Mac like this, I bet her resolve would finally crumble."

"You know, for two extremely smart people, they –"

"—can't see what's right in front of them? Try working with them day in and day out. But then again, it took Danny and me a while to catch on, so who am I to criticize?"

Noelle bit her lip. "Maybe it's because I love Don so much and he makes me so happy, I don't get why you wouldn't go after that if you had a chance to have it."

"I think it's different for them, you know? I mean, Mac had it all once and lost everything. It can't be easy to risk your heart again after something like that. And Stel, well – Stella's luck with men is pretty much non-existent. Plus, she and Mac are such good friends. It's always scary to mess with that."

"But they're so perfect for each other!"

"Unca Mac love Aunt 'Tella?" Katie asked.

Noelle smiled at her daughter's innocent insight. "Yeah, honey, I think he does."

Down in the backyard, Mac shook both Danny and Don's hands. "I'm impressed. This looks great."

"Not bad for a homicide detective and a scientist, eh, Mac?" Danny kidded.

"Here, let me give you a tour," Don offered. Since Mac had been on shift during the move, he had yet to see the house, and the first-time homeowner had been proudly offering tours to pretty much anyone who appeared on the lot.

Don was finishing off the tour of the main floor when Katie appeared and practically flung herself into Mac's arms. "Unca Mac!"

"Hey, there, Katie. Ah, look at you. You're getting prettier every day, aren't you?" Mac praised as he picked her up.

Katie giggled. "You help Daddy so I play?" she requested.

"Looks like your father and Danny have a pretty good handle on it, but I'll see what I can do."

She kissed his cheek happily. "T'ank you, Unca Mac!"

"Hey, Mac," Noelle greeted as she and Lindsay came down the stairs, each with a twin in their arms. "You gentlemen want some lemonade or should I just open a keg?"

Danny put his arm around Noelle as she walked further into the living room to join them. "See, Hansen, that's why I love ya. You got my back." He then took his son from her arms. "C'mon, bud. Papa's gonna show you how to use a circular saw."

"Don't even think about it, Messer," Lindsay muttered.

Don finished showing Mac around, then everyone headed out into the backyard. The guys continued working on the swing set while the kids played in a shaded corner of the yard with their toys and Lindsay showed Noelle the best place to set up a vegetable garden and talked her through everything she would need.

Finally, Don said the words Katie had been waiting her whole life for it seemed, "You wanna go for a swing, cutie?"

"Yay!" She ran over into her father's arms, wrapping herself tightly around him as he picked her up. "I swing! Weally high, Daddy!"

"Wait, I have to get the camera!" Noelle cut in.

"Hurry up, Noli, the kid wants to swing!" Don laughed, carrying his daughter over to the completed set and sliding her down into one of the bucket swings. "Here, cutie. All right, let's get ya all settled."

"An' I go slide?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure. Let's take a couple swings then you can go down the slide all ya want."

"Livvie and Mattie, too?"

"They're a little too small for the slide, cutie, but they can swing if they want. But you get first ride, sweetheart."

"'k, go Daddy!"

"Ah, just a sec. Your ma went to get her camera."

"No, I swing!" Katie demanded, causing all of the adults to laugh as her impatience.

"Okay, okay, I'm here. Go ahead," Noelle said as she came back outside with her camcorder in hand.

"You ready, little one?" Don asked his daughter.

"We go high, Daddy!"

Don wondered as he pushed his daughter in her swing and she screamed in delight whether life really got any better. He looked over at his wife taking video and saw the joy on her own face. He glanced across the yard where Danny, Lindsay and Mac were standing around and talking, Olivia half-asleep on her mother's hip while Matteo watched Katie on the swing with wide-eyes, listening excitedly as his father assured him he could have a turn next. Don grinned then and realized that no, in fact, life really did not get any better than this.


	59. The Interview

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don peeled around the corner onto the dead-end street, sighing when he saw the unfamiliar car in his driveway. Glancing at the clock in his SUV, he offered a string of curses. He was twenty minutes late. He could hear Noelle's voice replaying in his mind, _"Just make sure you're here before she arrives. I don't care if you're late for everything else for the rest of our lives, just be on time this afternoon." _Now, she was definitely going to kill him. Actually, she was probably going to torture him for days, then kill him, and _then_ convince Lindsay and Stella to help her make it look like a suicide. Danny might even help. Mac himself would probably turn a blind eye.

Throwing his vehicle into park, Don jumped out, tightening his tie and straightening his suit jacket as he rushed to the front door. He took a deep breath, then opened the door and walked inside, heading straight through the foyer into the living room.

"Daddy!" Katie greeted excitedly, running over and throwing her arms around her father's legs.

"Hey, cutie." He picked her up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're workin' on a puzzle, huh?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you go finish that up so Mommy and I can talk about some grown-up stuff with our guest, okay?"

"'k, Daddy."

He set her down and watched her return to her toy on the floor in the corner of the room, Rocco sprawled out beside her, then he looked directly at the social worker sitting next to Noelle on the couch. He avoided all eye contact with his wife. "I am very sorry I'm late," he apologized, approaching the older woman with as sincere an expression as he could muster and an outstretched hand. "I'm Don Flack."

"_Detective_ Flack, isn't it? Charlotte Ackerman." She shook his hand, her own expression difficult for him to read.

"Yes, ma'am. Detective First Grade with the NYPD. Homicide," he confirmed, taking a seat on the arm chair facing the couch. He dared to look at his wife then, receiving a look that told him his chances of having sex with anyone other than himself were probably slim to none for the next little while. "Unfortunately, the job's a little unpredictable sometimes. That's why I'm late."

"Understandable, Detective," Ms Ackerman replied courteously. "Although, I'm sure it also means you're gone a lot of the time."

_This is already not going well_, he thought. He looked back from his wife to the social worker with a small nod. "My schedule is rather demanding, yes. But it has its advantages, too. Even before Noelle and I were married, when she was working nine-to-five, it allowed me to spend entire days with Katie. And now that Noelle's writing full-time and working out of our home, Katie's got a parent around 24/7."

Ms Ackerman wrote down a few notes.

Don took the opportunity to glance back at Noelle who seemed to have softened a little. He flashed her an apologetic smile.

She offered a small smile in response.

"Yes, Mrs Flack was just telling me about her job right before you arrived. I'm sure your change of occupation has resulted in a shift in your financial situation?" the social worker asked Noelle.

"Uh, well – A little. Fortunately, Katie and I have benefits under Don's plan. As for salary, the income is not as steady from the magazine as it was when I was working in the corporate sector, but I'm well compensated for the pieces I submit."

"Do you have a contract?"

"No. I'm free-lance," Noelle replied. After watching the social worker make a few more notes, she looked over at Don, a little concerned.

_It's okay_, he mouthed to her.

"Detective, I believe I read about you recently in the news?"

Don swallowed hard. "Uh, couple months ago, yeah. I headed up a task force that included members of the authorities across the state, as well as up into Ontario."

"You were involved in a dangerous raid, if I remember correctly?"

"It was well thought-out, I assure you," he explained.

"You're young to be a first grade detective, are you not?"

"I was in the Academy right out of high school and I spent a lot of years working very hard, payin' my dues. Honestly, until Noelle and Katie came into my life, I really didn't make time for much else. But that's changed. Having a family has shifted my priorities."

"You adopted Katie?"

"Yes, ma'am," he confirmed with a smile.

"Do you two mind if I ask Katie a few questions?" Ms Ackerman requested.

Don and Noelle looked to one another, both figuring it could only help their case considering what a happy and well-adjusted child she was. They nodded their agreement.

"Katie, sweetheart, do you want to come over here for a moment and talk to Ms Ackerman?" Noelle invited the two year old.

"'k, Mommy," Katie agreed, getting up and walking over, allowing her mother to pull her up onto her lap.

"You're a very beautiful little girl, Katie," the social worker praised.

"Say thank you, sweetie," Noelle coaxed.

"T'ank you," Katie replied.

"Do you like your new house?" Ms Ackerman asked her.

Katie nodded happily. "Wocco an' I play ou'side and I swing and Daddy took me on slide but Mattie an' Livvie too wittle. An' want some app' juice? Mommy say Unca Mark and Aunt Denn'fer get a baby, and wan' see my woom? And I got a Unca Will and Unca Mac and Unca Danny and Aun' Laura and Lindy and – Oh, an' Unca Mac loves Aunt 'Tella and Adam silly but he paint my hand an' – You like ice cweam?"

Both Don and Noelle tried to stifle a snicker at their daughter's rambling while the social worker seemed to try and make sense of everything she had just been told.

"I see," Ms Ackerman finally said. She looked up at the girl's parents. "She's got quite the vocabulary for someone her age, doesn't she?"

"She's been talking since she was about ten months old," Noelle explained. "She's an extremely intelligent little girl. We've been deeply blessed."

"I coun': one, two, t'ree, four, five –" Katie started, holding out her fingers.

"That's okay, honey," Noelle cut in with a laugh.

"It appears she has adjusted quite well to your marriage," the social worker commented.

"She took to Don right away," Noelle concurred, smiling then at her husband as she stroked a hand through her daughter's hair. "He was born to be a father."

They let Katie go back to play while the social worker continued her interview. The couple were honest, confessing about Noelle and Katie being under protective custody for a few weeks; however, Don presented a copy of the risk assessment report which stated their safety was no longer in question. They gave Ms Ackerman a tour of the house, then finally, relieved that it was over, they sent her on her way.

Noelle watched her drive off, then shut the door. Her first act was then to cuff her husband on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.

"The one time I ask you not to be late! The one time!" she exclaimed.

"Doll, I'm sorry. I got caught in interrogation," he apologized.

"And what, there were no other detectives around that could handle it? You knew how important this was! The results of the home study determine if we can even proceed. If she writes us off, we're screwed. And it's not like we didn't have anything counting against us already!"

"Noli, look, despite a bit of a rough start, I think everything went all right. I mean, we were honest and direct, she seemed completely charmed by Katie. We're good parents. She'll see that," Don assuaged her.

Noelle sighed.

"Sweetheart, I am sorry."

"I just want this, Donnie."

"I know. So do I. Babe, I meant it when I said my priorities had changed. This family is at the top of the list. I know it might not always seem that way because of the crazy hours I work, but I promise, it's the truth."

She bit her lip. "Maybe I shouldn't have quit my job."

"C'mon, No, don't start second guessing yourself and the choices you've made, all right? Everything you've done since you got Katie has been in her best interest. You are a kick-ass mom. It was one of the first things I fell in love with about you. And if that woman couldn't see that, then she's absolutely blind and should have her license revoked."

She smiled in spite of herself. "I'm still mad, you know."

"Yeah, I was kinda afraid of that." He dipped his head a bit to catch her eye. "Feel like kissin' and makin' up?"

"That would only work if we were fighting. We're not fighting. You screwed up. There's a difference."

"So, how do I get back into your good graces?"

"I have a deadline and I haven't been able to write because I've been so stressed about this meeting, so what would really help me out is if you could take Katie and Rocco out for a while."

"You got it. I'll just run up and change then I'll take 'em to the park at the school." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then went to head for the stairs.

"Maybe later, we'll see about that kissing and making up."

He smirked. "I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away for long, Mrs Flack."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Detective First Grade. There's dinner and baths and bedtime stories between now and then."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, doll." He got about three stairs up when he stopped and glanced back down at his wife. "What did Katie say about Mac and Stel?"

"You mean the part where he's in love with her?" she grinned. "Really? First Grade? You'd think you'd have learned to be so much more observant."


	60. Swabbing

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"You sure about this, Mac?" Don asked a little warily as he led Katie by the hand into the office of his friend and colleague.

"We'll be fine," Taylor replied as he got up and rounded his desk. "Hi, Katie."

"Hiya, Unca Mac!" she greeted excitedly. "I stay with you?"

"You know what? The whole team's in today and it's been pretty quiet, so I think you'll get to hang out with everyone for a little while. And we're going to show you a whole bunch of things."

Katie looked up at her father wide-eyed.

Don laughed softly and ruffled her hair before he looked back at Mac. "She's entered the whole asking questions phase, so just be prepared. But it was really great of you to suggest this 'cause she loves hangin' out here. And Noli and I really appreciate having the afternoon."

"Big plans?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, Pop got us tickets to the Yankees-Tigers game. So, we'll just swing by after and pick her up." He crouched down in front of his daughter then. "It was really nice of Mac to let you come hang out for the afternoon. So, you promise to be a good girl, okay?"

She nodded. "'k, Daddy."

"All right, cutie. Gimme a hug."

Katie eagerly hugged her father tightly.

Don kissed her cheek then straightened back up. "Thanks again, Mac."

"You're welcome. Oh, and I had a call from a Ms Ackerman this morning."

"Reference check?"

Mac nodded.

Don took a breath. "You get a feel for anything?"

"She seemed receptive. But I don't think you have anything to worry about, Don. I'll tell you exactly what I told her: I not only respect you as a fellow officer, but I have also seen you this past year with Katie and Noelle, and I have no misgivings about you as a parent."

Truly touched by his, Don offered a small smile. "That means a lot. Thank you. You know, both me and Noelle appreciate that you agreed to be one of our references."

"It's my pleasure. And if you or Noelle need anything else, you just let me know. I envy you."

Don noticed Stella walk by out in the corridor. Remembering Katie's pronouncement the other day, he quirked an eyebrow. "You know, it's never too late."

"I think my chances of being a father have passed me by. But I am more than happy to be an honourary uncle, especially to a wonderful little girl like Katie. We're going to have a fun afternoon," he said, looking down at her with a broad smile.

Don handed Mac her bag, gave his little girl another hug and a kiss, then he went to head out. He stopped at the door and looked back at older detective. "Oh, and tell Ross no printing and no swabbing."

Mac chuckled. "Will do. Enjoy the game." After watching Don head off towards the elevators, he walked over and crouched down in front of Katie. "What would you like to do first? We can go visit Stella in A/V, or how 'bout we go see what Lindsay is up to in Trace?"

Katie was too excitedly to speak and instead just obediently took his hand as he stood back up.

Out in the corridors of the Lab, they met up with Danny on his way back from Reconstruction. "There she is. Boom! My favourite little lab tech," Messer greeted with a big smile. "How're you doin', sweetheart?"

"I good, Unca Danny. We go see Lindy!"

Danny looked at Mac. "Uh, maybe ix-nay the visit to Trace. Linds is a little p-i-s-s-e-d right now," he explained.

"What'd you do, Danny?" Mac asked pointedly.

Messer held his hands up in surrender. "Nothin'. I swear. It's the case. We keep hittin' dead ends."

"Then dig deeper. I'll take Ekaterina to A/V then."

"Uh, Stel just took off and went down to Autopsy. And I don't think Flack would appreciate you takin' her to the morgue or exposin' her to Sid and his creepy place."

"I guess Adam in DNA then."

"Just tell him not to swab her," Danny smirked. "You come visit me later, okay, kiddo?"

"'k, Unca Danny," Katie grinned with a wave as Mac led her off.

A couple of minutes later, they entered the DNA lab. Adam was running some samples, his IPOD in his ears, his feet absent-mindedly tapping to the beat as he watched the computer monitor.

"Adam?"

He did not respond, his back to the door and the music too loud.

Mac rolled his eyes slightly then walked closer and tapped the lab tech on the shoulder.

Adam jumped slightly, spinning around on the stool and quickly pulling his headphones off. "Oh, uh – Hi, Mac. Ah, Katie! How's the junior CSI?"

Katie giggled at his flustered demeanour.

"Can you handle watching her for about half an hour or so? I need to run down to the precinct and speak with Detective Angell," Mac explained.

"Sure, no problem."

"All right. Katie, you're going to stay with Adam for a while, but I'll be back before too long." He looked at the beleaguered young tech. "Her bag's in my office if you need anything. And no swabbing."

"Uh, yes, sir. I mean, Mac. Right. It'll be cool. No worries."

Mac nodded a little skeptically then headed out.

Left alone, Adam looked down at Katie. "So, let's see, what can I show ya?"

"What swabbing?" she asked curiously.

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"We should probably watch the game," Noelle sighed as Don nuzzled her neck.

It was the bottom of the sixth inning and neither of them would have been able to even recount the score let alone tell anyone who asked who had been responsible for putting the Yankees up four runs. They had been making out like a couple of teenagers through most of the game. Fortunately, since it was an afternoon game in the middle of the week early in the season, their section was only half-full and there was no one directly in front, behind, or on either side of them. However, Noelle was pretty sure that some misdemeanours had been committed in the past two hours.

"What game?" Don mumbled, his tongue finding her ear.

She moaned in spite of herself and turned her head so she could meet his lips. However, after another slow, deep kiss, she finally pulled herself away. "Honey, the game. Yankees and Tigers, remember?"

"When was the last time we had an afternoon alone together?"

"We're not exactly alone," she laughed.

Flack smirked. "You up for living a little dangerously?"

She narrowed her eyes at the predatory gleam in his eye. "I am _not_ having sex with you in the middle of a baseball stadium," she whispered.

"I wasn't suggesting we do it right here. Although that could be kinda fun."

"And when your _father_ asks how the game was? The one he spent his hard-earned pension money buying us tickets for, you're going to tell him what exactly?"

"Guilt is a great mood killer, doll."

A crack of the bat followed by a loud cheer drowned out Noelle's reply. The two looked down at the field as A-Rod's hit flew over the centre field wall, expanding the Yankees' lead to seven runs. Noelle bit her lip as she glanced up at the scoreboard and appraised the stats. "Ah, screw it. The bottom third of Detroit's batting order is up first in the next inning. As long as they don't put Farnsworth in, there's no chance they'll catch up. Let's go."

He raised his eyebrows a little incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yeah. A-Rod's not the only one who's going to score this afternoon."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Oh, crap."

"What's wrong, Adam?" Danny asked as he walked into the DNA lab.

"Uh, well, I, uh – I kinda got a match," Ross stammered.

"Usually a good thing, buddy. Or have you forgotten what we do around here?"

"Well, see, the thing is, Mac told me not to swab her. But she kept asking what that meant. So I was tryin' to explain it to her, but she's two. And I mean, sure, the kid's a genius, but still she's just a kid, right? So, I was demonstrating on myself and she practically begged me to do it to her, too. And you know how that kid looks when she's askin' for something. And I'm only human, right? So, I kind of – Um, well, I took a DNA sample."

Messer looked at Adam like he had three heads, desperately trying to make sense out of the younger man's rambling. "Okay, so you took a DNA sample from Katie? Mac was just kidding. He's not going to fire you, man. I mean, it's not like when she got fingerprint ink on everything."

"The thing is, I didn't just take the sample."

"What do you mean you didn't just take the sample?"

"I, uh – I kind of _ran_ the sample."

"Through the system? So what? The kid's two. I doubt she's been out there committing any indictable offenses, Ross," Danny laughed. However, when Adam did not respond, but rather continued to look a little freaked out, Messer's smile disappeared. And then he remembered how the conversation had started in the first place. "Wait. What did you mean when you said you got a match? How could you get a match? Katie's not in the system. She's two!"

"Not Katie. But, uh – Her father?"

"C'mon, you're not makin' any sense. She and Flack aren't genetically related. His reference sample's not gonna match."

"Not Detective Flack."

Danny grabbed the lab results and the other pages from Adam's hand and studied them carefully. "That's impossible."

"But – But there are nine alleles –"

"I know how DNA matches work, Adam. Jesus." Danny ran his free hand through his hair, trying to make sense of everything. "Her father's in New York?"

"This says her father's some murderer guy who got off on a technicality. In New York. Awaiting deportation."

"It's impossible. Flack and I talked about this once. Noelle got all the information from the orphanage. Medical histories, family histories. Katie's biological parents – Well, for one thing, they're in the freakin' Ukraine! They were sixteen year old kids. They both signed away all their parental rights. So, how the hell is the system kickin' out a match with a twenty-six year old psychopath?"

"The science doesn't –"

"The science doesn't lie? Is that what you're about to say? Well, someone's lyin', and I, for one, don't want this to go where I think it's goin'. Run the sample again. And then run it again after that. Where's Katie now?"

"Uh, with Stella in her office, I think."

"Run the test again, Adam. I gotta go find Mac."

Adam watched Danny stalk out of the DNA lab and head off purposely down the hall, then turned back to the computer. "Oh, crap."


	61. Blindsided

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What's it say?" Noelle asked as Don ushered her through the lobby of 1 Police Plaza towards the elevators, his eyes alternating between the path before him and the browser on his cell phone.

"Uh, just a sec. Okay, here it – Ah, final score: ten-six. Cabrera hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth," Don explained, raising his eyebrows as he read the high-lights. "Hmm. Good to know."

"Seriously? Wow, sorry we missed that."

Don glanced at his wife then with a smirk. "You didn't sound that sorry an hour ago," he teased her.

Her cheeks coloured a bit. She did not say anything but instead suddenly seemed to find the "up" button in the elevator bank extremely fascinating.

Don just chuckled and led Noelle onto the first elevator that opened its doors. He hit the floor for the Crime Lab, then looked at his wife a little suggestively as the doors closed, the two of them alone in the car.

"I think we've committed enough misdemeanours for the day, don't you?" she said, quashing any plans he had for getting at all physical on the ride up.

"I hate to break it to ya, doll, but I believe we might've actually committed a couple felonies." He leaned down, his lips grazing her ear, his breath hot as he added, "But I promise not to turn ya over to the authorities."

"How gallant of you considering you colluded in the commission of said felonies."

"Colluded. C'mon, sweetheart, you know what it does to me when you start breakin' out answers from the Sunday _Times _crossword."

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the thirty-fifth floor, and Noelle just laughed as she stepped off ahead of her husband.

Don was soon holding his wife's hand in his own as they navigated their way through the corridors towards Mac's office. However, en route, they were intercepted by Danny. "Hey, Messer," Flack greeted with a wide smile.

"Uh, hey. Good game?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, Yankees won. Nine-five."

"Ten-six," Noli corrected, unable to suppress a giggle. "Definitely a good game."

"Lots of…action," Don nodded, trying his best to be serious.

Noelle let go of his hand and reached up to playfully slap him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Noticing that Danny was not amused like he normally would be by the exchange, Flack quirked an eyebrow. "What's goin' on? Katie wasn't too much trouble, was she?"

"Nah, course not. She's in Stella's office. But, uh – Mac needs to see ya first."

"Okay." He looked at his wife. "Why don't you go grab Katie and –"

"Uh, actually both of you," Danny cut in.

Flack furrowed his brow then. "What's going on, Dan?"

"Just – Just come with me, okay?"

Curiously, Don led his wife down the hall after Danny towards Mac's office.

Seeing the three approach, Mac stood up and walked around his desk.

"So, what's up?" Flack pressed a little anxiously, his detective radar on high alert, a knot forming in his gut when he saw the expression on the older man's face.

Mac picked up a stack of computer print-outs from his desk, compiled over the course of the last couple of hours, and handed them to Don. "We stumbled upon some information while you two were gone."

The seasoned homicide detective quickly glanced through the pages. "Viktor Shevchenko, held on two homicide counts then released under a jury tampering charge, awaiting deportation…I know this isn't about an open investigation or Noelle wouldn't be there. So, who is this guy?"

"Katie's father," Taylor replied solemnly.

A thick silence enveloped the office, Danny and Mac looking at one another uneasily as Don and Noelle tried to figure out if they had heard Mac right – and if they had, what he could possibly mean.

"What are you talkin' 'bout, Mac?" Don finally said. "Katie's _biological _father was a sixteen year old kid when he got her mother pregnant back in Kiev. Name is Oleksandr Andreychuk."

Danny scratched the back of his neck.

When Mac hesitated, Flack grew impatient. "Okay, what the hell is going on here?" he demanded, throwing the pages down on the desk and looking at the two CSI's pointedly.

"Adam was showing Katie some DNA searches and I guess, in her inquisitiveness, she asked what swabbing meant. Long story short, he took a DNA sample from her and ran it through the computer to show her how it worked. He forgot to disable the search when she went off with Stella, and a while later when he was working on something else, the system came back with a match – to Viktor Shevchenko," Mac explained. "The match is close enough that they can only be father and daughter."

Noelle stared at the three detectives. She may have been the only civilian in the room, but she grasped everything she had just been told. Not even a year ago, she had stood in these offices and begged Danny to run her own DNA through the system to see if she was the daughter of a convicted rapist. But she was not Katie, an innocent two year old. And no match had ever been found for her. How she wished the same could be true now. "Don is Ekaterina's father. More importantly, he's her _daddy_. No criminal in your database gets the right to that title."

Don looked over at his wife with a sad smile. He was touched by her words and understood the sudden fear ripping at her heart. However, he knew this was not something they could ignore. "When did Shevchenko arrive in the States?"

"September 2007," Danny replied.

Don did the math. "Seven months before Katie was born."

"None of this matters!" Noelle exclaimed, feeling tears burn her eyes. She looked at Don. "She's _our _daughter. I – I filed all the right paperwork. I paid all the fees. I checked that all the names matched and – She's our daughter, Donnie!"

"No one's disputing that, sweetheart," he assured her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze before he looked back at the CSI's. "What are the chances that this DNA search thing is wrong? Or maybe Adam mixed up Katie's sample with another one waiting to be processed? I mean, c'mon, seriously, the odds have gotta be like a billion to one, right? So, there's got to be some mistake."

"Adam ran the test three times," Mac replied apologetically. "Viktor Shevchenko is definitely Katie's biological father."

Don took a moment then to absorb the news. His mind was reeling as he tried to sort out all of the possible ramifications of this discovery. "I looked over all the paperwork. So, if this is true, that means somebody lied. We need to figure out what that could mean for us."

Noelle looked at him incredulously. "It means nothing. We don't have to do _anything_. We have legal papers, Don, that say Katie is our child."

"And if this Shevchenko guy never knew that the woman who gave birth to Katie was even pregnant and finds that out and _then_ the fact that some other man signed over his rights? Those papers say he's awaiting deportation back to the Ukraine. If that happens, if he goes back there, there's probably a good chance he'll find out that she exists. Maybe he's always wanted a kid, Noli."

"Maybe he already knows. Maybe he told her mother he wanted nothing to do with her, and that's why Oleksandr stepped up," Noelle argued.

"Or maybe Oleksandr was lied to, as well. We don't know what happened, sweetheart, but we gotta find out. Otherwise we run the risk of this guy turning up at any moment demanding access to his daughter. And who knows, maybe he'd even have a legal right to make that demand."

"She's not _his_ daughter!" she cried, her tone betraying her frustration that no one seemed to be getting that point. "She's _ours_!"

Don hated seeing his wife upset – and worse, he despised this situation that had upset her. The one thing he had thought they could count on was the certainty that Katie was theirs. Now, that certainty was slipping away. However, this just led him to look at his wife with a determination she knew only too well. "And don't think for one second I'm gonna let anyone try and tell us otherwise, No. I promise you. But we – Look, we gotta be prepared. And in the end, this could work to our advantage, 'cause there's no way we can be blindsided."

"It might be a good idea to talk to a lawyer," Mac suggested then.

Flack nodded slowly, thinking the same thing.

"Look, Don, let me do some checkin' around. See what I can find out 'bout Shevchenko, his contacts here and back in Kiev," Danny offered. He looked at his superior then, sensing Mac was about to object. "Off the clock, of course."

Mac said nothing to discourage the CSI.

"I appreciate that, Dan, thanks," Flack said quietly. He squeezed his wife's hand again. "We're gonna figure this out, all right, baby?"

She just nodded, her thoughts spinning out of control. "I, uh – I need to go see Katie."

"She's in Stella's office," Mac advised.

She simply nodded again and turned and headed down through the corridor, clearly dazed.

Don waited until she was out of earshot before he muttered, "I'm not about to let some psychopath get his hands on Katie. And I don't know what's worse – he gets sent back to the Ukraine? Or he keeps walkin' 'round in my city and one day passes my little girl on the street and sees this kid with his eyes, or his nose, or sees that she looks just like a woman he screwed and left behind?"

"You and Hansen ain't gonna lose your kid," Danny assured him.

"No, I sure as hell ain't gonna lose my kid."

Don headed off shortly after to gather his wife and daughter. He found them as expected in Stella's office, Noelle listening with a smile as Katie babbled on about her afternoon. He noticed the tears in his wife's eyes behind her smile, and when Katie hugged her, the ferocity with which she hugged her back. He caught Stella's eye then and received a sympathetic nod. She had obviously been filled in on the findings. He took a deep breath and put on his bravest smile as he walked further into the office. "There's my favourite lab rat," he greeted as he crouched down in front of his little girl.

"Daddy!

"Hey, there, cutie. Did you have a fun afternoon?"

She nodded excitedly and began recounting again everything she had seen and done in her own blend of Katie-speak.

Don listened for a while as she chatted away, cutting her off at one point to suggest they go home and see Rocco.

"Can you say thanks and bye to Stella, honey?" Noelle prompted her.

"T'ank you, Aun' 'Tella!" Katie sing-songed.

"Oh, you're very welcome, sweetheart. You come visit anytime you want," Stella replied. "And Don, Noelle, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks, Stel," Don said quietly, taking his daughter's hand as Noelle picked up her bag. "Talk to ya tomorrow."

Out by the elevator as the family waited, Katie stood between her parents, looking back and forth from one to the other as they each held one of her hands. She furrowed her brow at the serious expressions on both of their faces. "Why sad?" she finally asked.

Noelle and Don shot each other a quick glance before looking down at their daughter. "Everything's fine, sweetheart," Noli assured the little girl.

Katie grinned. "I go on swing?"

"You can swing all ya want tonight, cutie," Don agreed with a smile.

"Yay!"

As Katie started rambling on again, Don picked her up and held her tightly in his arms. Once they were on the elevator, he grabbed onto Noelle's hand, seeing the concern that was still in her eyes.

"I come back 'morrow?" Katie asked as they headed out through the lobby moments later.

Don chuckled softly. "How 'bout we get you into preschool first? I'm pretty sure it's a requirement."

"'k, Daddy," she said with a shrug, not understanding exactly that meant.

Noelle laughed then and for a moment, she forgot all about the man who had the potential to rip their family apart.


	62. Fathers

**A/N **Sorry for the delay in posting. I'm having serious health and computer issues (can't seem to catch a break). Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Note that 4.16 will have no bearing on my story as a) it is completely AU and b) I still have faith that D/L can make it out of what has happened. I've seen real life couples make it through stuff ten times worse and end up stronger for it. Cheers!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don was on his way past Katie's room when he stopped instead in the open doorway and leaned against the frame. He took a breath, watching as Noelle rocked their daughter in the chair in the corner as she read from one of the little girl's favourite books. Katie was giggling as her mother recited Dr Seuss, the familiar words never seeming to bore her. Normally the scene unfolding before him would have brought a smile to his face. Unfortunately, tonight it just caused the knot in his stomach to tighten.

Unheard and unseen, he backtracked and returned to his and Noelle's bedroom. He shut the door and grabbed the cordless handset from the night table, hitting speed dial. He slumped down on the bed with a sigh as the line rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Pop, it's me."

"Donnie, my boy. You don't sound so good. Is something wrong?"

Don launched into the whole sordid tale. With each sentence, his tough exterior crumbled little by little. If there was one thing that made the arrogant detective vulnerable, it was his love for his little girl. "Part of me thinks I should do nothing. I mean, if that test had never been run, we might have never known. And maybe Noelle's theory is right. Maybe this guy knows about Katie and he never wanted anything to do with her. So, is that the answer? I just sit back and do nothing?"

Jump exhaled at the other end of the line. "This is a tough one, son. I wish I had some hard and fast answers for you."

Don was quiet for a moment as he considered the events of the day. "Jerry Poston still working free-lance?"

"Far as I know. I'd be happy to give him a call if you'd like. He owes me a favour."

"Let me think on that for a day or two. Dan's gonna do some checking off the clock, maybe he'll dig up enough to put this all to rest. I just…" He trailed off as the bedroom door opened and his wife appeared. She looked broken, like she was on the verge of tears. He held out his free hand to her, as he said to his father, "Listen, I'll talk to ya tomorrow, huh?"

"All right. Listen, son, you and Noelle are wonderful parents, and Katie is your daughter in every way that matters. No lab test can change that. You just remember that."

"Thanks, Pop. Bye." Don threw the phone aside then pulled his wife down onto his lap. "She out?"

"Like a light. As far as she's concerned, the only thing that happened today is she got to hang out at the Lab for the afternoon and see some really cool stuff."

He brushed her hair from her face, his blue eyes bright with determination. "I promised you before that I'll do whatever I have to do to protect this family. I intend to keep that promise."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Part of me feels helpless, like at any moment everything can come crashing down around us. But there's this other part of me that has to believe that we didn't all end up here for everything to slip away." She pulled back a bit and looked at him. "I never thought I would have all of this. A few years ago, if someone had told me I'd have a beautiful daughter, a wonderful husband and a home –"

"Don't forget about Rocco," he cracked, his dimpled grin bringing a smile to her face.

"Right, and a dog. If someone had told me I'd have all of this, I wouldn't have believed them. But here we are. And _we_ did nothing wrong."

"No, we didn't."

"And worst case scenario, this Shevchenko guy _didn't_ know about Katie, finds out and decides he wants her. Would a court give a little girl to an alleged murderer over a two-parent family? There's no way, right?" she asked hopefully.

He kissed her gently. "There's no way."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Danny threw the SUV into park and turned off the ignition, then glanced over at his wife with a slight shake of his head. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"I didn't talk you into anything," Lindsay scoffed. "I just said that I was coming in no uncertain terms. And you know I'm right, Danny. You walk in there and you're going to come out with nothing. They'll make you a mile away."

He furrowed his brow. "But you, dressed like that…?"

"C'mon, Shevchenko's got a weakness for beautiful women."

Danny looked his wife over: the short, black leather skirt, the stiletto heels, the low-cut red tank top. When she had walked out of their bedroom in the get-up, it had taken everything in him not to take her off to bed. But the thought of any other guy laying eyes on her like that made his skin crawl. Especially knowing that Shevchenko's weakness for beautiful women seemed to have resulted in them showing up dead. However, he knew she was right. He could not walk in there as a cop because they had no just cause. And no one was going to give him any information otherwise. He had to trust his wife's instincts. He sighed at the realization. "I'm comin' in in fifteen minutes, no matter what."

"That's fine."

"C'mere…" He leaned over and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her passionately. "You be careful, you got it? His case was thrown out on a technicality, not 'cause he was innocent."

"I'll be careful. You know, you're a good friend, Dan, doing this for Flack and Noelle."

He shrugged. "He'd do it for us if the roles were reversed. Wouldn't think twice."

"That's true." She kissed him again quickly then opened the car door.

"Hey, Montana?"

She glanced back over her shoulder. "Yeah?"

"I love you, babe. Good luck."

She smiled then climbed out of the vehicle. She nearly twisted her ankle as her stilettoed heel hit the gravel of the parking lot, but she quickly got her footing. She took a deep breath, then headed across the lot and into the bar.

Danny sat back in the driver's seat, having complete faith that his wife could pull this off but hating it just the same.

Inside the roadhouse, Lindsay walked with confidence straight over to the bar and took a seat, feeling more than a few pair of eyes on her. The place was busy, the clientele mostly men, though a few of them had a woman on his arm. Most of the voices that drifted over the music were speaking broken English, though some were speaking Ukrainian or one of many other Russian dialects.

"What can I get for you, beautiful?" the bartender asked as he leaned against the long, wooden bar and not-so-subtly looked her over. He had an accent himself, though not very pronounced.

"Kamikaze shot and a vodka on the rocks," she requested.

"You got it." He easily fixed her drinks and set them down in front of her.

She knocked back the shot then nursed the vodka, glancing around.

"What brings you in here tonight?"

Lindsay looked back at the bartended. "Things went bad with my guy. I needed an escape, to go somewhere no one knew me. This was the first place I found. Can I get another shot?"

The bartender nodded and went to fix her another kamikaze.

While she was waiting, Lindsay felt before she saw someone sit down on the stool to her right. She turned slowly, fighting off the appearance of recognition as she realized it was Viktor Shevchenko sitting there. However, what startled her was that she did not see the face from the mug shot she had studied earlier so much as Katie's. The little girl was the spitting image of her father.

"Ah, 'dis is on me," he said to the bartender as another shot glass was set down in front of Lindsay.

Lindsay plastered on a fake smile. "That's not necessary."

"Oh, but I insist. A beautiful woman should never have to pay for a drink," he explained, his accent thick.

All she could think about was how such a beautiful, happy little girl could come from someone so obviously slimy. "Thank you," she offered.

"A beautiful woman should also not be so sad. I make you forget."

She quirked an eyebrow. "I don't even know your name."

"Ah, my manners! Viktor. And you?"

"Lindsay." She extended her hand.

He took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Lindsay. Such a lovely name."

"Your accent. Where are you from?" she asked.

"I come from Kiev. It is in Ukraine. It beautiful country. I take you 'dere one day."

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself there, Viktor. We just met."

"Ah, I will make you forget all about man who make you so sad."

"Forgive me if I doubt that. I thought he and I would be together forever. Turns out I didn't know him all that well."

"What this man do to hurt you?" Viktor asked, his eyes traveling down her body before meeting her own eyes once again.

Lindsay fought back the sick feeling of having him leer at her, remembering the task at hand. "We've been talking about getting married. But as soon as I brought up children –"

"He not want children wit' someone so beautiful? Foolish man."

"Do _you_ want children one day?"

"I will have whole house of them!" he declared. "Where I come from, family important. Family is your life."

Lindsay picked up the second shot and knocked it back, hesitating. "Do you, uh – You have any children now?"

"No. If I had child, I not leave Ukraine." He reached over and ran a finger down her arm. "Lindsay, you such beautiful woman. I take you home and make you forget."

As if on cue, the door to the bar opened and Danny walked inside. Lindsay audibly sighed gratefully as their eyes met and she nodded slightly before turning back to Viktor. "You know something? I think I want to try and work things out with my boyfriend. But thanks for the drink." She hopped off the stool and headed for the door, walking through as Danny held it open for her and leaving a baffled Viktor Shevchenko in her wake.

Out in the night air, she shivered a little. "I need a shower," she announced.

"What'd you find out?" her husband asked as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders and led her towards the car.

"Katie looks just like him, Dan. And I don't think he has any clue that she exists. And for the sake of that family, we better hope he never finds out."


	63. Come Fly With Me

**A/N You never know how attached you are to your laptop until it's gone! Eight weeks later…I've got my computer back, finally all fixed and working. In the meantime, I was unable to get onto the site at all as it is blocked at work sigh So, I took the time to take a vacation (okay, that was already planned) and get some other stuff done. But now it's on to the important business of adding to my story! Thanks for your patience – I hope everyone is hanging in there.**

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What if we just tell him?"

"Sure. Let's do that. Then I'll come help you pack Katie's bags."

Don scowled as he continued throwing the baseball up and down from his spot sprawled out on the couch in Danny and Lindsay's office.

"Look, I made a few calls. The deportation order's gonna get tossed. His lawyer's arguing rather successfully that since all the charges were dropped against him he's no threat to stay in the country," Danny explained.

"Even though they were dropped on some technicality?"

"Yeah. Besides, the D.A.s' got bigger things to worry about considering the case cost him a new A.D.A and an IA investigation. Look, bottom line: Shevchenko's gonna stay put. Could be the best thing."

Don sighed, catching the baseball and sitting up. He buried his head in his hands for a moment before running a hand through his hair. "Just hear me out: we tell him, we get him to sign over his rights, the thing's over and we never have to worry about it again."

"Except from what he told Lindsay, if he knew he had a kid, he'd wouldn't be signin' her away."

"We show him she has a good life with us."

"Nah. Montana said the guy's a sleaze. He won't care about what's best for Katie. He'd want her just 'cause she was his. And he might have a case, Don, if he was never told about her."

"Well, there's no way in hell he's gettin' his hands on my little girl. Just 'cause she's got his DNA doesn't mean he'd be the better father. He doesn't know she likes chocolate ice cream the best or that her favourite book is _Green Eggs and Ham_. Or that she has a birth mark on her right hip that's shaped like Mickey Mouse ears, or that when she cries, the only thing that'll calm her down is if you rub her back. And he has no clue that her favourite song is off a freakin' Michael Bublé album. _I _know those things_. I'm_ that little kid's father."

Danny looked at his best friend sympathetically. Now that he was a father himself, it was not difficult to put himself in Don's shoes, and that was no place he would want to be right now. The worst part was that he and Lindsay had not been able to figure out how they could help Don and Noelle, short of making Shevchenko disappear in a way only a couple of CSI's could. "Someone's gotta talk to Katie's mother," Messer finally concluded. "We need to know what happened back in Kiev."

Don nodded, rubbing a hand over his face, his entire being utterly exhausted. He had barely slept in the four days that had passed since they had made the discovery about Katie's paternity, partly because Noelle was not sleeping. He had felt her on more than one occasion get up in the middle of the night and disappear down the hall into Katie's room as if she needed confirmation that their little girl was still snug in her bed. He understood the instinct – when she was not following it, he was. "Yeah, I been thinkin' about that. But short of showin' up on her biological mother's doorstep in middle-of-flippin'-nowhere Ukraine, I don't know how to get that info."

"Well, c'mon, you're Bowery's golden boy. How much time did you accrue workin' on that task force? Use some of it and take a little field trip. 'Cause until you know how big a threat Shevchenko really is, you're gonna constantly be lookin' over your shoulder, man."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"I did this, Dad. It's all my fault."

Jack Hansen looked at his daughter sympathetically as she continued to berate herself. "Honey, you did nothing wrong."

"You've always told me that I have to slow down and think things through, stop being so impulsive. Why didn't I listen to you? I must've missed something. I must have –"

"Noelle, _you did nothing wrong_," he repeated. He stood and walked over to where his daughter was pacing by the fireplace and stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "I have never seen anyone make a decision as carefully as you did the one to adopt Katie. You followed the process to a T. You had lawyers check every document. You did everything you could possibly do, and you did it all the right way. So, if someone committed any wrongs here, it was not you. Let yourself off the hook."

"I can't lose her, Daddy," she said almost inaudibly, her voice shaking.

Jack leaned forward and kissed his daughter's forehead. "You won't, sweetheart. You are that little girl's mother in every way that matters and I have to believe that counts for something."

Hours later, wrung out from falling apart with her father, Noelle walked through the front door of the house she had finally started thinking of as home, her daughter sleeping soundly in her arms. Her brow had furrowed after finding her brother's car in the driveway and her confusion only compounded as she discovered him sitting on the living room couch leafing through a magazine. "Mark, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Uh, he's here to pick up Katie," Don explained, double timing it down the stairs before his brother-in-law had a chance to say anything.

"What? Why?"

"Because you and me – We've got an eight o'clock flight to Kiev."

Noelle glanced down at the sleeping two year old in her arms, then trailed her gaze to her brother and then to her husband. "_What?_"

"I think the best way to handle this entire thing is to get to the bottom of what happened between Katie's biological mother and Viktor Shevchenko, so I booked us onto the last flight out tonight. Mark and Jen were great enough to agree to watch Katie 'til we get back."

Overwhelmed, Noelle tried to process everything. "Donnie, we can't just fly half-way across the world at the drop of a hat. I have a deadline. And you've got work. And do you have any idea how much it costs to fly to the Ukraine from New York?"

"Yeah, I just put two tickets on our Master Card and it was kinda painful. But I've been goin' over this all day and I don't see a better way. Do you?"

She took a deep breath, running a hand through her sleeping daughter's hair. "No. I guess I'm just a little afraid of what we might find out on the other side of the world. What about your shifts?"

"Bowery owes me some time and as soon as I told him as much as I felt he needed to know, he was cool with me taking a few days. And I packed your laptop. You can write on the plane. It's not like you were gettin' much done here."

"We'll take good care of Katie," Mark assured her, stepping into the entranceway. "And you know Don's right."

"I know," she agreed, nodding then with a determination she had not felt in days.

In a flurry, Don and Noelle finished the packing he had already started then Mark dropped the anxiety-ridden couple off at the airport before taking Katie home with him.

Sitting in the departures lounge as they waited for their flight to be called, Noelle leaned her head against her husband's shoulder, actually feeling the tension leave her body. "Last time we were here, we were waiting to leave on our honeymoon."

Don smiled wearily at the memory. "Yeah."

She took his hand in hers. "Thank you. For this. For thinking this is something worth fighting for."

"Hey, I couldn't love Katie any more if me and you had created her. I will always fight for you and our daughter."

Noelle leaned up and kissed the edge of his jaw. "And that right there is why marrying you was the smartest thing I ever did."

"Can't say I disagree with you there, doll."

She slapped his arm playfully, though the glint in his eye never failed to calm her and put everything in perspective. "What are we going to do for four hours in Hungary?"

"Damn, sweetheart, there are so many places I could go with that…"


	64. Faith

So in being out of touch, I missed the entire Fanfiction Awards process. So, way too belatedly, thanks to everyone who nominated me, and especially to those who voted for me for the Best Newcomer award! I was overwhelmed to say the least when I got all caught up on emails and posts and saw that I had won. Also, thanks to everyone for welcoming me back so warmly. I really missed hanging around here. All I can say is my laptop better not die again or the computer gods and I will be having some strong words! Anyway, thanks to all of you for hanging in there with me and I hope you continue to enjoy the ride. Cheers!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"So, how much trouble would you get in if the higher-ups knew you were doin' this?" Mark asked as he punched a few keys on his laptop.

"'Bout as much trouble as you'd be in if they knew how you went about accessing those files," Danny smirked.

Mark chuckled and returned to the search on his computer.

"You know, this doesn't make any sense. I don't think Shevchenko committed those murders." Danny furrowed his brow as he re-read the minute amount of information in the evidence report for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"He was set up."

Messer looked over at Mark, discerning that it had been a statement, not a question. "What do you got?"

"Wrong place, wrong time, a foreigner. Perfect patsy."

"You got something over there or you been reading Lee Harvey Oswald's biography?"

Mark grinned. "My sister's the conspiracy theorist. But seriously, I can't find a thing on this guy. No record, not even a stint in juvie the family swept under the rug, or even a parking ticket. I'm no cop, but what are the chances that you're gonna get through twenty-four years without so much as a speeding ticket then start a killing spree in your new land of opportunity?"

Danny nodded. "There's no ballistics, no prints, no fibres. All witness statements, conjecture, circumstantial crap. No way this would have brought down a guilty verdict."

"You know what the A.D.A. had at stake? Just young and stupid, trying to get a win?"

"I dunno. That's the missing piece for me. I mean, why risk your career on a no-win?"

Mark set his laptop aside on the coffee table and sat back on the couch. "I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse. I mean, the idea of Ekaterina's biological father being a homicidal son-of-a-bitch didn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy, but at least then I thought there was no way he could ever get his hands on her. Now I'm almost startin' to feel sorry for the guy."

"What'd you guys figure out?" Lindsay asked worriedly as she and Jen walked into the living room, a tray holding coffee cups, milk and sugar in Lindsay's arms and a couple bowls of snacks in Jen's.

"Viktor might not as dangerous as we first figured," Danny replied.

"What does that mean?" Lindsay set down the tray on the coffee table beside Mark's computer then moved over to the arm of the chair Danny was sitting in and looked down at the papers strewn across his lap.

"Looks like he was set up."

Jen quirked an eyebrow as she sat down next to her husband on their living room couch. "So, if he's not a dangerous freak, why would Katie's biological mother lie about her paternity?"

"That's the million dollar question," Mark muttered.

Jen's hand went down to her slightly swollen abdomen. "There's no possible scenario here that ends with Noelle and Don losing Katie, is there?"

Mark reached over and covered his wife's hand with his own. "No, 'cause I won't let that happen to my baby sister."

Danny and Mark were filling their wives in on how they had arrived at their conclusions when Erin came down the stairs and appeared in the doorway. "Mommy, Katie's crying."

Jen furrowed her brow. She and Lindsay had both struggled earlier to get the little girl to go to sleep, the two year old obviously homesick and confused. "Okay, sweetie. Let's get you back to bed and I'll check in on your cousin."

As Jen took her daughter's hand and led her back up the stairs, the five year old looked up at her mother and uttered perceptively, "She wants Aunt No and Uncle Don."

Back in the living room, Mark ran a hand through his hair. "From the day Noli stepped off that plane with Katie in her arms, that kid was as much a part of this family as any of the rest of us. And my sister's gone through too much in her life to have some DNA test rip everything apart. I'll do whatever I have to to keep that from happening."

"Hey, we're right there with ya, man," Danny swore. "Listen, we'll fax a summary of everything we got here to Don and Hansen at the hotel. At least they'll be armed with as much info as possible when they talk to Oksana tomorrow."

Lindsay narrowed her eyes in concentration. "Let's talk this out. You're a sixteen year old girl, and you get knocked up by a twenty-four year old. For the sake of argument, said hormonal twenty-something is not some dangerous creep, just a horny creep who sleeps with teenagers. So, why lie about the paternity of your baby? I mean, if you're going to give her up anyway…"

"Maybe she wasn't afraid of Viktor, but of Oleksandr?" Danny proposed.

Lindsay considered. "That could work. Girl cheats on her boyfriend with another guy and then is afraid he'll leave her if he finds out."

"Or maybe Viktor really is dangerous," Mark threw out. "She was just trying to protect Katie and herself."

"She was only sixteen. Maybe she really was naïve enough not to know there was a possibility that Viktor could be the father," Lindsay hypothesized.

"Or maybe she was afraid of being branded the town slut," Danny suggested.

Lindsay shot her husband a glare.

"What? It happens in small-town America. Ya think it doesn't happen in small-town Ukraine?"

"Or maybe Oleksandr and Viktor are long-lost brothers who have nearly identical DNA?" Mark asked hopefully.

"This isn't a cable TV movie-of-the-week," Jen pointed out as she returned with her niece whimpering in her arms.

"C'mon, what are the odds that Katie's real father would turn up in New York and his DNA would end up in the system? We've passed even epic miniseries."

"Good point, Mark," Danny nodded. "But we ran that test every which way we could. There's no question about the results."

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think someone planted those results," Lindsay muttered.

"Now _you're_ a conspiracy theorist," Danny scoffed. "Besides, unless you want to believe Adam's somehow involved, there are way too many unknowns to make that work."

"So, Katie's future is once again in the hands of a teenage girl who has no idea what the real world is all about," Mark said dejectedly.

Jen rubbed her niece's back and looked at the innocent little girl for a moment. "This precious child is a part of her. So there's got to be some good there."

"But a mother's first instinct should be to protect her child. What if Oksana thinks that's what she's already been doing?" Lindsay questioned.

Jen planted a kiss on her niece's head as the child quieted, having cried herself almost back to sleep. "Do you know what Noelle told me the night before she went in for her hysterectomy? After everything she had been through, she still had it in her to smile and say, 'This is happening because God knows there's a child out there that needs me more than any I'd give birth to.' Now, we're all guilty of not stepping foot in a church nearly as often as we should, but we all believe the same thing. And the God we believe in cannot be so cruel as to reward the kind of faith Noelle has by taking away the one thing that restored it."

Mark nodded as he looked at his niece and considered the profound words his sister had spoken. "Katie is brilliant and funny and beautiful. I'm all for the nurture argument because Noli's all those things, but there's got to be some of the people that created her inside of her. That means that in the end, Oksana and Viktor should want what is best for her."

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Noelle jolted awake.

"Hey, you okay?"

Taking a moment to get her bearings, she glanced down at her husband lying beside her in the dark hotel room. "Hmm. Yeah, I think so."

A little groggily, Don gathered his wife into his arms. "Bad dream?"

"I, uh – I don't remember what I was dreaming about." She sighed, cuddling up beside him. "I guess four a.m. is a little early to show up on her doorstep demanding answers, huh?"

Don chuckled softly. "That's my girl. Strong-arm tactics all the way."

"Yeah, well, I doubt a round of good cop/bad cop is the way to go with a scared eighteen year old. What if she won't even talk to us?"

"Then we'll find some other way to get to the truth."

"The problem with the truth is that everyone has their own interpretation. Especially teenagers. And especially when love and sex are involved. Maybe if I hadn't skipped that entire part of my own adolescence, none of this would be happening now."

"Sweetheart, you start playin' the 'what if' game and you'll just drive yourself crazy. Whatever we did or didn't do in the past, we're here now. And I wouldn't trade any of it. Would you?"

"No, of course not."

He kissed her gently. "Let's try and get some sleep. We've got a mystery to solve in the morning."

"Good thing I've got a NYPD's best detective at my side then."

"Well, until we get a better read on the situation with Oksana, I'm not sure whether it'll be my flair for getting people to crack or yours for spinning a compelling tale that'll get us what we need. Either way, I think it's gonna take a bit more than showing up on that girl's doorstep to get what we came for."


	65. Mothers

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Hey, how you holdin' up, doll?"

Noelle escaped her thoughts and looked at her husband who was sitting in the window seat next to her on the plane. "I don't know. I came here feeling angry at this whole situation, and now I just – I just feel numb and confused. And sad. Maybe especially for Viktor."

Don sat back in his seat with a sigh. "Yeah."

She looked down at his hand intertwined with hers. "What are we going to do, Donnie?"

"I don't know. You know, I've spent my entire life tryin' to do the right thing. It's why I became a cop. I wanted to find justice for those incapable of findin' it for themselves. But I don't know which side justice falls on this time."

"Katie's side."

He nodded. "No argument from me there, babe. But what's that mean?"

Noelle leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Don kissed her temple, then went back to looking out the window, the day before on constant repeat in his mind…

_Danny had been right about one thing – a small town in the middle of the Ukraine worked the same way as any small town in America. When two strangers show up asking questions, word quickly gets around. So by the time Don and Noelle arrived on the doorstep of the house where they had managed to discover Katie's biological mother lived, she was not only expecting them, but she had figured out just who they were. _

_Now, Katie's mother and the woman who had become her mommy sat across from one another in a small living room in a foreign land, one looking a little afraid, the other looking determined yet just as scared. In the middle was a man who for all of his strength and street smarts felt like his entire future rested with an eighteen year old girl._

"_Is she happy?" _

_Noelle seemed startled by the words that finally broke the silence between the three of them. She hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "She is a very happy child. We, uh – We have a house and she has a dog – and more people who love her than she knows what to do with."_

_Oksana furrowed her brow. "She not sick, is she? That why you come?"_

"_No, she's fine," Don replied._

_Noelle took in her surroundings. She and Don had learned upon their arrival in town that Oksana still lived with her parents in the house she had grown up in. They had asked an officer at the local police station whether they would need to enlist the assistance of a translator, but the couple had been told that most of the kids Oksana's age knew enough English to get by. Noelle was still a little surprised at how well she spoke. It was a little disconcerting to find that the hard-luck young girl Noli had expected was instead rather well educated and from a seemingly good family._

"_Then why here?" the young woman asked, flipping her long auburn hair over her shoulder._

_Noelle looked at the girl, wondering if this is what Katie would look like in sixteen years. Despite Lindsay's claims that Katie looked just like Viktor, she could see so much of Oksana in her child. _

_Don could see the myriad of emotions running over his wife's face and wished like hell he could just snap his fingers and make this whole situation disappear. Since he could not make it go away, he knew the best thing was just to cut to the chase. "Listen, Oksana, we, uh – We know that Viktor Shevchenko is Ekaterina's father. We need to know why you lied about it."_

_Oksana fidgeted with the hem on her blouse._

"_Please. We just need to know the truth," Noelle pleaded. _

"_I tell you. But first, you have picture?" _

_Noelle glanced at her husband uneasily._

_Don hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his wallet and sifted through until he found one of the pictures he always carried of the three of them. He questioned the wisdom of this young girl reconnecting on any level with the child she gave up, but he also knew she had every right to refuse to talk to them if they did not comply with her one request. He took a breath then handed over the wallet-sized photo, a recent snapshot of him, Noli and Katie taken by Danny or Mac the day they built the swing set. _

_Oksana took the photo, her hand shaking slightly, and it took a moment before she could actually bring herself to look at it. When she finally did, a sad smile crossed her face. "She beautiful." She stared at the face of the toddler grinning back at her for what felt like an eternity to the couple who were now her parents. Finally, she handed the picture back as if it was too painful to hold on to any longer. _

"_What happened?" Don asked._

"_You see Viktor? He is okay?"_

"_We, uh – No, we haven't seen him." Don ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, Oksana, we're not here to make things difficult for you. We just – We need to know what happened. We found out Viktor is Ekaterina's father and that he's living in New York. That's where _we_ live. So you have to understand why we'd be a little concerned. We just need to know what we're dealing with."_

"_Viktor good man," she said wistfully. _

"_He's much older than you," Noelle pointed out._

"_My father friend of Viktor father from long time. When I little girl, my family promise me to Viktor."_

"_Like an arranged marriage?" inquired Don._

_Oksana nodded. "I grow up with him and love him whole life. But when Viktor twenty, he conscripted to Army. He gone long time in Kosovo. Then he got shot and sent home. We thought he could stay, so we plan to marry. But then when he better, Army say they send back to Kosovo. Viktor not want to go and say he go to America. But I – " The young girl sniffled. "I not go."_

"_He didn't know you were pregnant," Noelle inferred._

_She shook her head. "No. When I find out, he already in America. And I – I know if I find him and tell him, he come back. But would sent back to Kosovo! So I beg my friend Oleksandr to lie so nobody know."_

_Don felt like he had been kicked in the stomach as he absorbed everything they had been told. His rival was not some punk or even some criminal. He was a scared kid who had defected so he would not get sent back to a war-torn country, oblivious to the fact that he had a baby on the way. "You gave up Ekaterina. Viktor didn't. If he finds out about her, he'd have every right to try and take her away from us."_

"_I sorry. I never thought somebody find out. I just want Viktor and baby to have good life. I want Viktor safe, Ekaterina happy. I too young to have baby by self." She looked at them through tears. "He never be safe here. Viktor come back, he be arrested or sent to Kosovo or Iraq. I no tell him. Ever. You take care my baby. Tell her one day I love her and want her good life. Please give her good life."_

"You think Viktor ever loved Oksana?"

Don looked back at his wife with a shrug. "I dunno."

"I mean, if he did, why wouldn't he take her with him?"

"A kid on the run, maybe he thought it would be easier to get out of the country by himself. Maybe he intended to send for her. Or who knows? Maybe she was just a warm body after years away at war. But no wonder he was fightin' that deportation order so hard. He knew he'd end up in jail or back in the army if he was sent back."

"Yeah, well, if what Mark and Danny found out is true, then he's the biggest victim in all of this."

"What are you sayin', Noli? You want to tell him?"

"No. I don't _want_ to tell him anything. But what I want and what's right…" She trailed off, furrowing her brow.

"Damn Ross. If he'd just listened –"

"Honey, this isn't Adam's fault. It's not even that young girl's. She was just scared and trying to protect the man she loved and the innocent child they created."

Don sighed wearily. He squeezed his wife's hand.

The fasten seatbelts sign soon illuminated as they began their descent into New York. Once they had passed through Customs and collected their baggage, they passed through the doors to the Arrivals.

"Mommy!"

Hearing the voice above every other, Noelle dropped her bags and ran over to her daughter, who was waving at her exuberantly from her uncle's arms. She took Katie from Mark and hugged her tightly. "Oh, I missed you, sweetie!"

Katie giggled and grinned at her daddy as he stepped up beside them. "Dada! Hiya!"

"Hey there, cutie." He kissed the top of her head, then nodded at Mark, Jen and Erin. "Thanks for pickin' us up."

"No problem," Mark said, shaking his brother-in-law's hand. "You get what you needed over there?"

Don glanced down at his daughter. "We got the truth."

"And more questions," Noelle said, hugging Katie close. "Were you a good girl for your uncle and aunt?"

"I good!" Katie proclaimed proudly, causing everyone to laugh. "I saw Unca Danny and Aunt Lindy and G'ampa Jack play with me and Rocco and we see tigers at the zoo and we have ice cweam and then…"

Noelle and Don both chuckled as their little girl rambled on about what they had missed in their few days away. Partway through, she reached for her father and insisted Don carry her out of the airport as she continued her tale, oblivious to the entire purpose of her parents' sojourn across the world.

And as they tucked her into her own bed a couple hours later, Don announced, "We don't have to do anything. Not right now."


	66. Breathe Again

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Shouldn't you be on your way home?" Danny asked as he took a seat at the bar next to Don.

"Just needed a minute," Flack replied, bringing the Guinness to his lips and knocking back another swig.

Danny signaled to Frankie for a bottle of his usual then looked at his friend.

"I don't wanna talk about it, man. It seems like it's all I've been doin' for days now and it's not gettin' me anywhere. This isn't how it was supposed to be."

Danny kept his mouth shut for a few minutes and just sat there with his friend. When the barkeep placed his drink in front of him, he took a few sips from the longneck and let the silence settle between them. He had a feeling Don needed this, a few moments alone to wallow. God knew how exhausting it could be trying to be strong for everyone else all the time.

Don worked on shelling a few peanuts, then tossed them in his mouth before washing them down with another swallow of his beer. Finally, he yanked on his tie to loosen it and turned to his best friend. "Fine, so maybe I want to talk about it. See, here's the internal debate: Tell Shevchenko that he's Katie's father and hope he'll do the right thing and sign away his rights, or keep my mouth shut and hope my kid doesn't hate me one day for the years I robbed her of with the man who _might_ not have given her up if he'd known she existed."

Danny considered for a moment, shelling his own handful of peanuts. "Yep. That's a tough one."

Flack scowled. "Thanks, Messer. Lotta help you are."

"C'mon, man. This ain't an easy decision. And it's not one anyone but you and Hansen can make."

"Except I can barely look my daughter in the eye."

"Shevchenko's a prick. You're not deprivin' her of a nominee for world's greatest dad right now."

"A man changes when he becomes a father," Don sighed, taking another sip of his beer. "Christ. And on top of everything, Noelle's tearin' herself apart over this. She thinks it's her fault, that she's let me and Katie down somehow. And I just don't know how to fix this for her."

"Flack, man, it's not your job to fix it. This is just somethin' you guys are gonna have to work out together. But isn't that what's cool about bein' married? You don't gotta do anything alone anymore. For better or worse, you got a partner. Someone to watch your back and hold your hand – and, unless you really mess up, love you forever." Danny polished off his beer and threw enough cash down on the bar for the both of them. He stood up and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Linds and I are around if you need us. Take it easy."

Left alone once again, Don considered his best friend's words. Then he considered how utterly inconceivable it was that he was considering any kind of marital advice from Daniel Messer. The world really had fallen off its axis. With a chuckle, he finished his beer and left, the drive back to Queens more than enough time to clear his head.

Forty-five minutes later, Don walked into the kitchen to find his wife hulling strawberries over the kitchen sink, her gaze fixed out the window into the backyard. "Hey, babe," he greeted with a kiss to her cheek. "Sorry I'm late. I had a drink with Messer at Sullivan's."

"That's okay. I made a lasagna and it's still baking."

He followed her gaze out the window. Katie was running around with Rocco, a bright smile on her face. "What's she doin'?"

"Playing hide-and-seek," Noelle explained with an amused laugh as she continued to hull the strawberries.

"How's that work?"

"Well, apparently, she tells Rocco to 'sit', then she runs behind the cherry tree and after a minute, she tells him to come find her. Whenever he feels like getting up, he does, and usually by then she's gotten impatient and she's waving at him from behind the tree," she explained.

Don laughed. "That's our girl. Playin' by her own rules."

Noli set aside the huller and rinsed off the berries. She pulled the colander from the sink then and handed it to Don, along with a knife. "Here, make yourself useful. Oh, and Katie drew a picture for you. It's on the fridge there."

He glanced over at the refrigerator and smiled at the abstract crayon drawing. He set the bowl on the counter, pulled off his tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves, then got to work slicing the berries. As he worked, he watched Noelle out of the corner of his eye as she moved easily around the kitchen, her feet bare, an old pair of denim shorts nearly lost under one of his Academy t-shirts, her auburn hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. He realized that with all the drama that had taken over their lives, it had been a while since he had _really _looked at her. And damn, was she beautiful.

"What?" she asked with a hint of a blush on her cheeks when she caught him staring at her.

He smirked. "I was just thinkin' that I got me a hot wife."

Her face coloured even more. She bit her lip, fighting back a smile, before she said, "Get back to work. Your daughter's been eyeing those berries all afternoon."

He grinned then resumed the task at hand.

Noelle wandered over to the sliding glass doors that had been left ajar. "Katie, honey, dinner in a few minutes. Why don't you and Rocco come on inside and we'll get you all washed up, okay?"

The little girl gladly obeyed, calling her dog and running into the house. She beamed when she saw her father working in the kitchen and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his legs. "Dada! I miss you!"

Don set down the knife and wiped his hands on a nearby towel before easily lifting his little girl into his arms. "I missed you, too, cutie. Did you have a good day?"

She nodded and kissed his cheek.

"Go wash your hands, sweetheart, and Daddy can change his clothes," Noelle suggested.

"C'mon, cutie, I think that was a pretty blatant hint that dinner's just about ready."

Don carried his little girl upstairs and set her on the edge of the sink in the main bathroom while he washed her hands. "So, what did you do today?" he asked as he cleaned her up.

"I go Mommy and we get stwawberries!" she announced excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw. Are they your favourite?"

"Yep! Wocco loves stwawberries, too! I gave him one."

"Rocco loves everything. Just don't give him too much, okay? We don't want him to get sick if he has too much people food. So, what else did you do today?"

"I pway outside with Wocco and I dwaw picture for you. I give Mommy."

"I saw it on the fridge. Did you draw that all by yourself?"

She nodded proudly.

"Well, I say that's pretty cool. I bet no other daddies got pictures today. I feel pretty special there, cutie!"

"I love you, Dada!" she exclaimed as if he was silly for not understanding why she would want to draw him a picture.

He grinned at her. "Ah, I love you, too, Katie. More than you know." He kissed the top of her head then eased her down off the counter top. "Why don't you run down and see if your ma needs any help while I change my clothes, okay?"

"'kay, Daddy. I go now." She waved and ran down the hall and then made her way down the stairs.

Shaking his head with an amused smile, he wandered into the master bedroom and stripped off his suit, changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. For the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe. It was strange considering the life-changing knowledge bestowed upon him and Noelle had not gone anywhere. Yet there it was. A calm. At the very least, a reprieve.

After dinner and bath time and two stories, Katie was down for the count. Don took Noelle's hand as they left her room, and led his wife down the hall to their own bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he shut the door with a slightly mischievous grin.

"Do you know that, technically, we still fall into the category of being newlyweds?" he countered.

She smiled at the look in his eye. It had been a while since he had looked at her like that and she would be lying if she said she had not missed it. "Hmm. True."

He closed the distance between then and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. "You know, I'm usually one to take advice from Messer with a grain of salt. But he made an excellent point when we were talking today."

"What's that?"

"That the cool thing about bein' married is that you never have to be alone. That no matter what you're faced with, you've got someone to watch your back and hold your hand."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "Wow, Danny said that? That's pretty profound."

Don chuckled. "I'll be sure to tell him you were surprised. But in all seriousness…Noli, whatever we do next, we'll decide together and we'll deal with it together. But right now, tonight, let's just _be_ together."

Noelle ran her hands up his arms until they came to rest on his biceps as she leaned up and kissed him gently. "I love you, you know that?"

"Works both ways, doll." He captured her lips again in a searing kiss. He moved her over to the bed and eased her down, moving down beside her. He made quick work of ridding her of her clothes before his hands and lips started to travel.

Don slowly made love to his wife, memorizing every moment, every sigh and moan that escaped her lips. More than once he met those lips with kisses that were going to leave her feeling him for days. Noelle certainly was not complaining about the passion that seemed to have overtaken her husband. She, too, felt like it had been eons since they had really just been together and she reveled in the feel of him so close. And after, for the first time since the whole ordeal had begun, they both slept.

Don woke up in the morning to find Noelle already awake. She was curled up as close to him as she could get, her head on his chest, her hands fidgeting with the silver chain around his neck. "I feel like I can breathe again – despite the fact that you took my breath away last night," she said in lieu of a simple 'good morning.'

Don ran a hand through her hair. "God, you scare me sometimes. That's exactly how I would have described what I felt like yesterday."

She glanced up at him with a smile. "I'm not sure I ever believed in the whole 'meant to be' stuff. But then I got Katie. And I met you. And everything _fit_. And for the first time in my life, I really felt comfortable in my own skin. That's what I want for our daughter."

"In other words, you don't want her growing up with the same kind of questions you had," he surmised.

"My parents were afraid of finding out the truth. But we already know. Can we in good conscience keep that from our daughter?" she asked.

Don took a deep breath. "We need to get a lawyer."


	67. Viktor

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"Can I ask you something?"

Don turned from the mirror over the dresser in their bedroom where he had been working on tying one of his more subdued ties and looked at his wife. "You should know by now, doll, that you can ask me anything."

Noelle bit her lip. "We _are_ doing the right thing, right?"

"No question," he answered without hesitation.

She nodded. "Okay." She returned to buttoning up the simple, white blouse she had settled on to pair with her long, floral skirt.

Don resumed tying his tie, then pulled on his grey suit jacket. He ran a hand through his short black hair then turned back to his wife. "You ready?" But even as the words escaped his lips, he saw the confident front she had been bolstering all morning already starting to crumble. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. "Hey. It's gonna be okay."

She looked up at him a little incredulously.

"Okay. Okay. I know that's trite. I really – I have no idea what's gonna happen. But, sweetheart, I know this: we are doing the right thing. It might not feel like it for us, but it's what's right for Katie. You were right, you know. We can't let her grow up with questions when we have the power to find answers to them. And she's gotta be our first priority."

Noelle nodded again and took a deep breath. "I am so glad you came into our lives because I don't think I could do this by myself."

"Yeah, well, the thing is, without me, you probably never would have found yourself in this situation."

"No. I would have been alone, left open to being blind-sided at any moment. Instead I have you holding my hand and looking at me the way that only you do, knowing that no matter what, I'm not alone." She reached up and touched his cheek. "Kiss me?"

He flashed his dimples, more than happy to comply. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, gently at first before taking it deeper. For a second, he forgot about what they were about to do and just got lost in the woman who had walked into his life a year ago and changed everything. She had turned the confirmed bachelor who thought his life was about working eighteen hour days solving crimes into a husband and a father who now saw nothing else as important as being those things.

"We're going to be late if we keep this up," Noelle said breathlessly. She kissed him once again quickly then reluctantly pulled away. "I don't want to go but I want to get this over with."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead then took her hand and led her downstairs. They found their daughter playing on the living room floor with some of her toys, Rocco laying down a few feet away with one eye closed and the other on his playmate. Noelle's father was sitting on the couch watching the golf game, her mother in the armchair working on a crossword puzzle.

"Woods still in the lead?" Noelle asked, wanting to talk about anything but where she and her husband were about to go.

Jack glanced up with a nod. "But Mickelson and Weir are both playing better than I've seen 'em in about four seasons. You look beautiful, chief."

"Think it's too much?"

He shook his head. "But we know it doesn't matter what you're wearing. The man's either going to receptive or he's not."

The ringing of the telephone prevented anyone from saying anything further. Don glanced at his watch. "I'll get rid of whoever it is." He disappeared into the kitchen and picked up the cordless handset hanging on the wall. "Hello?"

"Don? Hi, it's Julianne Christopher. You're a hard man to track down. Heard you were even out of the country for a few days."

"Julianne. Uh, yeah. Noelle and I had to take care of some family stuff. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the office has approved your home study. You're free to pursue your adoption."

Don closed his eyes, trying to wrap his head around what she was saying. In the midst of all the drama surrounding Katie's paternity, he had almost forgotten the plans he and Noelle had put in motion. Plans that right now seemed so insignificant.

"Don?"

"Thanks, Jules. That's great news. I appreciate the call."

"Is everything okay?" she inquired.

"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks again. Listen, we were just on our way out for an appointment. But I appreciate you callin' yourself and lettin' us know. Bye." Before she could respond, he hung up the phone. He took a deep breath before he returned to the living room to find his wife crouched down beside their daughter, listening intently as Katie babbled on. "No, we have to go."

She kissed Katie atop her head and ruffled her hair, then stood. "You be good for your grandma and grandpa, okay? Mommy and Daddy won't be long."

"I come?" Katie pleaded.

"Not this time, sweetie."

"Your grandpa needs your help to stay awake through the golf game, cutie," Don kidded, walking over and lifting his little girl up into his arms. "We love you very much. You always remember that, okay?"

"k, Daddy," she giggled.

He set her back down and looked at his in-laws gratefully. "Thanks for stayin' with her today."

Sarah got up and gave her daughter and son-in-law both a hug. "Good luck. We'll be thinking about you."

Noelle and Don both glanced once more at Katie before resigning themselves to the task at hand and leaving.

The first few minutes in the car passed in silence. Noelle was absent-mindedly tapping her fingers against the armrest to the beat of the country song on the radio while Don concentrated on navigating through the Friday noon-time traffic.

"Who was on the phone?" Noelle asked, almost startling her husband.

He hesitated. "It was, uh – It was OCFS. Our home study was approved," he replied somewhat flatly.

His wife did not say anything for a moment, and then she laughed almost bitterly. "Life's little ironies."

"Yep."

She laid her head back with a sigh. "A couple weeks ago, that was what I wanted more than anything. Now I can't even think about having another child."

"I know, babe."

She was quiet for another moment, her mind racing. "Tell me again what Viktor said when you called?"

"I just told him that we had seen Oksana and we needed to talk to him about her. He was receptive and agreed to meet."

"I wonder what he's thinking. If this scenario has even crossed his mind."

"I highly doubt it. But I gotta say, even over the phone, it was clear he was affected by the sound of her name. I don't think it was just sex for him," Don observed.

"Great. And what better way to hold onto her than to –"

"Noli, don't do this to yourself. Remember what Lorenzo told us. Even if Viktor were to try to claim Katie, we still have a good shot."

They were both silent for the remainder of the car ride to the diner in the Bronx where Viktor had suggested they meet. Despite Don's words, they both got lost in the 'what if's' and were soon overtaken by anxiety.

But as he pulled their car into the lot, Don shook his head with an incredulous chuckle. "I don't believe it."

"What?"

He nodded in the direction of a Chevy Avalanche parked at the far end of the lot. "Stay here for a sec." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, then got out of the car and headed across the parking lot, where he pounded on the driver's side window.

A moment later the window rolled down and Danny looked out at his best friend a little sheepishly. "Hey, Flack. You're probably thinkin' these are pretty incredible odds, runnin' into ya here, huh?"

"What the hell, Messer?"

"You know, just in case you needed some back up."

In spite of himself, Flack laughed softly. "Right. Linds know you're here?"

"Whose idea do you think this was?" Danny explained.

"Course. You know, I think we probably got this."

"Well, just in case you guys need a beer after then."

"You're a good man, Mess. A little crazy, but a good man." Don clapped him on the shoulder then returned to collect his wife.

"What's Danny doing here?" Noelle asked, amused, and finding herself feeling a little less anxious.

"Back up."

"What's he going to do? Shoot him?"

Don shrugged as he ushered her into the diner. "Maybe. That's him."

Noelle followed his gaze and nodded, instantly recognizing the man. Katie had his eyes.

Don squeezed her hand and led her over to the table where Viktor was sitting in jeans and a t-shirt, nursing a cup of coffee. "Mr. Shevchenko? I'm Don Flack. We spoke on the phone. This is my wife, Noelle."

Viktor glanced up and then stood and extended his hand to both of them. It was a sign of respect, which told them both high highly he thought of Oksana. "Nice meet you. Please, sit. You say on phone you see Oksana. Please say she okay."

As Don and Noelle sat down at the table across from him, Noelle replied, "She's fine."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I happy. I thought – I worry something happen to her."

Noelle studied the man. He was not what she expected, not after the encounter Lindsay had had with him. But then again, that night he had been a man afraid of being sent back to the country from which he had escaped, probably a little drunk, and more than likely lonely. And Lindsay _had_ come onto him as part of her effort to extract information. But obviously, Oksana brought out whatever was good inside of him. "You loved her."

Viktor looked a little surprised by the comment, but he nodded with a wistful smile. "Yes. Very much. Nobody believe because I older. But thought of her keep me alive when I fighting in Army. But now – She better without me."

"I'm not sure she agrees."

The waitress came over and the couple each ordered a cup of coffee, grateful for the momentary reprieve.

However, once they were left alone again, Don took a breath. "Listen, Viktor, the reason we wanted to see you – We know Oksana because – We, uh…" He trailed off. He just could not get the words out. He had wanted to hate the guy, and a part of him still did. Maybe not the man, but the idea of him. The fact that he existed, and the power he had over their lives. Especially now, when Don pictured both of them standing in front of a judge and he no longer knew without a doubt who would win.

Under the table, Noelle took her husband's hand.

Don looked at her and she nodded and he knew that this was still the right thing to do, no matter how big the knot in his gut was growing. The usually strong detective was in that moment just a father who loved his daughter, but someone who knew that man across from him had given her life and had a right to know that. He looked back at Viktor and mustered whatever courage he had. "When you left her, Oksana was pregnant."

Viktor took in the admission.

While he was still processing it, Don continued, "She had a baby girl. Her name's Ekaterina. She gave her up because she did not want you to come back and end up in jail or back on the front lines, and she knew she could not take care of the baby by herself."

Viktor remained silent as he came to terms with the implications of everything Don had just said. He narrowed his eyes then. "You say I have daughter?"

Noelle felt tears fill her eyes as the words escaped the man's lips. "Yes," she whispered. "You have a daughter."


	68. When it Rains

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don hit the punching bag over and over, _pow pow pow_, barely giving himself time to recover before throwing the next punch. He was drenched in sweat, his wife beater soaked through, as he had already run for over forty-five minutes on the treadmill before pulling on the boxing gloves and taking to beating the hell out of the heavy bag. "Son-of-a-bitch," he grunted.

"_You say I have daughter?"_

"_Yes," Noelle whispered. "You have a daughter."_

_Viktor looked at the couple incredulously for a long moment, absorbing their admission. "Oksana. My beautiful Oksana. She have baby?"_

_Don nodded. "Yes. Her name is Ekaterina. Katie. She just – She just turned two a couple months ago. She's beautiful."_

"_You say Oksana give baby away. You know where she now?"_

_Don felt Noelle unconsciously squeeze his hand as she tensed. He released her hand and stretched his arm around the back of her chair, letting his fingertips brush along her arm. "She lives here in New York. With Noelle and me. We adopted her."_

_Viktor's hazel eyes widened. "My little girl live _here_? I have daughter here in same city!" _

"She's _my _little girl!" Don snarled at no one in particular as he threw another punch at the bag.

"Don?"

Flack's head shot up as Mac joined him in the basement gym. However, he quickly shrugged off his friend and turned back to the punching bag, throwing out a few more jabs.

Mac wandered around to the other side of the bag so he could look Don in the eye. "You've been down here for over an hour. Sheldon was convinced you were going to give yourself a heart attack as hard as you were running on the treadmill earlier."

"Hawkes should mind his own business," Don muttered with a few quick hook shots.

"Don. Come on. Talk to me."

"Nothing to talk about, Mac."

"I take it Katie's father didn't sign the papers."

Don grabbed hold of the bag the glared at the older detective. "_I _amKatie's father. And I don't need a piece of paper to prove it. All that man did was contribute some DNA. So, if he thinks I'm going to stand by and let him take her away from me and Noelle, he's sorely mistaken!"

"Is that what he wants?" Mac pressed.

"_I like see her," Viktor said once everything had sunk in. "Meet my daughter."_

_Don and Noelle both hesitated, looking at one another as they each deflated, their worst nightmare seemingly coming true. Not that they were being caught by surprise. What were the chances that they would tell him he had a child only for him to pull out a pen and sign her right back over to them?_

"_I no make any trouble. I just want meet my Ekaterina," Viktor pleaded. "She daughter of me and my Oksana. I never knew."_

"_We didn't either," Noelle said a little more defensively than she intended. "I'm sorry. I was never told that you were her father. Oksana was trying to protect everyone. She was just a scared young girl, trying to do what she thought was best for her baby."_

"_She okay? Oksana? Her family, they not throw her out for this, right?"_

"_No, she's fine," Don assured him. "She's still living with her parents. She lost some time at school because of the pregnancy, but she should be graduating at Christmas."_

_Viktor nodded. "She always very smart. Too good for man like me. But please, I still like meet Ekaterina. Please."_

"He wants to meet her. _His _daughter." As if suddenly overcome with exhaustion, both mental and physical, he slumped against the punching bag. "But you tell me how anyone could look at her beautiful little face and then walk away?"

Taylor looked at his friend sympathetically. "I don't pretend to know what you and Noelle are going through right now. It's a difficult situation. But perhaps you shouldn't jump to conclusions. I would think it would be natural for him to want to meet her. That does not necessarily translate into him wanting to go after custody."

Don sighed, unconvinced.

"And – Listen to me here, Don. Even if he does, it does not mean he would win. You and Noelle have given that little girl a stable, two-parent family for the past year. She loves you both and is attached to the large, extended family you have privileged her with. You can send her to good schools and ensure she grows up healthy and happy, and most of all, loved. And there are dozens of people willing to back you up should you need it. So don't let your head – or your heart – take you directly to the worst-case scenario."

"I just know that t would destroy Noli to lose her. And I wouldn't be far behind."

"Then fight. And know we're all behind you."

Don took a deep breath. "Thanks, Mac."

The older detective nodded with a reassuring smile. "Anytime. My door's always open."

"I gotta grab a shower. My shift starts in half an hour."

Part way through a mundane shift filled with paper work and little action, Don headed across the street to grab an extra large coffee from Vincenzo's. He pushed through the front door just in time to see the owner, a short, robust man named Luka, shaking down a teenager.

"Give me back my money, you little punk! You think I'm not gonna turn ya over to the cops?"

"Leave me alone, old man!" the teen yelled back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's goin' on, Luka?" Don demanded.

"This kid took a twenty from the till when I was serving the last customer," Luka explained.

Don looked at the culprit, his brow furrowing as recognition dawned on him. "_Antonio_?"

The teen slowly raised his head and looked at Flack sheepishly. He was fourteen, scrawny and small for his age, with shaggy black hair and big brown eyes.

"Christ, Tony, what're you doin'?"

"I'm sorry, Flack," he apologized, his voice barely above a whisper, his expression full of shame.

"Luka, if he gives you back your twenty, can you let him off this time? I'll take care of it, I promise you," Don said.

"For you, Flack, yeah, sure. But he better not come back in here," Luka warned.

Don looked at Tony sternly. "Give the man his money."

Tony handed over the worn twenty-dollar bill, his eyes never meeting those of either Don or the coffee shop's owner.

"Thanks, Luka."

The owner just nodded then went to serve another customer.

Don ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus Christ, Antonio. What the hell were you thinkin'?" He shook his head. "Come on. You're comin' with me."

Feeling he had no recourse, the young boy followed Don out of the shop. However, when he saw where they were headed, towards 1 Police Plaza, he stopped in his tracks.

Don almost laughed at the expression on the boy's face. "I'm not gonna book ya, kid. Now come on." He grabbed Tony by the elbow and practically dragged him across the street and into the precinct. He took him into the pit and sat him down in his visitor's chair. He then slumped down behind his desk and appraised the teenager in front of him.

It had been at least a year since he had last seen the boy. Tony had been one of his favourite YMCA kids. His father had left when he was a baby, then his mother had been arrested for prostitution and drug possession when he was ten. His maternal grandmother had stepped in then, determined that Antonio would not suffer because of the mistakes of his parents. She had put a roof over his head, made sure that he went to school and got involved in after-school programs like those at the Y to ensure he stayed out of trouble.

"Wait 'til your grandma hears about this. It's gonna break her heart," Don remarked.

"Please don't tell her, Flack! I swear, it won't happen again," Tony promised. "Just don't tell my grandma."

"You're right about that, kid! It won't happen again. Because you're way better than this. I mean, come on, what were you thinkin'? Fleecing that store owner?"

"I just – I was hungry."

"What kinda lame excuse is that? Your grandmother keeps you fed. Damn it, Antonio. You don't know how good you got it! Most kids like you don't have someone who cares about them the way your grandmother does. Now talk to me, 'cause you know better than this. Tell me what goin' on with you, huh?"

"My grandmother's in the hospital. She's real sick," Tony explained quietly.

"Ah, man, Tony, I'm sorry. Well, who's takin' care of you then?"

The boy hesitated.

"Kid, don't tell me you're stayin' by yourself."

"My grandma told me to call my uncle, but I couldn't track him down. I mean, first few days, it was fine. I went to school, then went and sat with her at the hospital and did my homework and went home and fixed something to eat. But then I ran outta food and I couldn't find any money where she usually keeps some and … Yesterday, when I went to see her, she didn't even wake up the whole time I was there." Fighting back tears, the boy's tough exterior crumbled and he looked at Don apologetically. "I'm real sorry. I didn't mean to steal from that guy."

Don reached over and patted his shoulder, his disappointment having quickly been replaced by concern and sympathy. "It's okay. I'll help you figure this out." He pulled out his wallet then and took out a couple bills. "Here. There's a commissary across the lobby there. Go get yourself something to eat and grab a soda."

Tony gratefully took the money and headed off, uttering an overwhelmed, "Thank you," on his way.

Don sat back in his chair for only a second of contemplation before he snatched up his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, babe. It's me. Listen, I know my timing sucks, but I got a huge favour…"

Hours later, after a disjointed shift, a trip to the hospital to talk to Tony's grandmother, then a stop at their apartment, Don led the boy through the front door of his own home. "Hey, we're here."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Katie greeted excitedly, running out into the entryway from the living room.

Don picked her up and hugged her. "Hi, cutie. How's my favourite girl?"

"I good!" She looked at the strange boy beside her father then with both curiosity and uncertainty. "Hiya," she said quietly.

Tony nodded at the toddler with the same reservation.

"Antonio, this is my daughter, Katie. Katie, this is my friend, Tony. He's going to stay with us for a few days."

Katie's eyes widened. "He stay here?"

"Yep. So I need you and Rocco to make him feel at home, okay?"

"Hey, guys. I was wondering where you'd gotten to," Noelle said cordially as she joined them all.

"Tony, this is my wife, Noelle," Don introduced.

"It's nice to meet you," Tony said politely. "I don't know how to say thanks for lettin' me stay here."

Noelle smiled warmly. "You're more than welcome, Tony. I hope you'll feel at home while you're here. You'll be staying in the guestroom and it's all ready for you. It's right at the top of the stairs on the right. So, why don't you take your bag on up and you can wash up in the bathroom across the hall. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

He nodded. "Thanks again, ma'am."

"No problem. And, please, ma'am? Call me Noelle."

Tony blushed and was completely overwhelmed at their hospitality. He looked at Don with a grateful half-smile, then took his bag and headed up the stairs.

Don set Katie down and kissed his wife gently. "Thanks, doll. I know this couldn't come at a worse time, but I didn't know what else to do."

"Timing isn't everything. He needs our help and I love you for wanting to do whatever you can. Besides, he seems like a nice kid. So, go on up and get changed. And Katie, you go put your toys away, all right, sweetheart?"

After he watched Katie run back into the living room, he kissed his wife's cheek then went to head upstairs himself.

"Oh, Don? Mac called. Said you did some damage to some of the equipment at the gym."

Don stopped his ascent up the staircase and sighed. "It's okay, Noli."

She walked over and leaned against the railing with her brow furrowed. "We made it all the way to that diner as this indestructible team. Please don't start pulling away from me now."

"I'm not. I promise."

She took a deep breath. "Okay."

"I love you, No. Sometimes I just – C'mon, I'm Irish. I've got a temper. It's been a rough couple weeks and I just – Look, I'd rather take it out on a heavy bag at the gym than ever do or say something in this house that might hurt you or Katie. But I'm not pulling away. I need you too much."

She smiled. "And you've clued into that whole consulting me first before making major decisions."

He flashed his dimples. "See, I'm learning."


	69. Bonding

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don hesitated for a moment before he wrapped lightly on the door in front of him.

"Come in," invited a quiet voice.

Don turned the knob and pushed the door open slowly. He found his young charge sitting up with his legs stretched out on the bed in the guestroom, clad in sweat pants and a Spiderman t-shirt. He had been leafing through a comic book, which he set aside as Don took a few steps into the room. "You settlin' in okay?" Flack asked.

Tony nodded. "Thanks," he said.

"It's not a problem. What are you reading?"

Tony picked up the comic book and held it out to the detective.

Flack walked over and took it from the young boy's hands, a grin crossing his face as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "No kiddin'. This is a classic! Where'd ya get it?"

"My grandma. She knows I like comics, so she bought me a couple collectors' editions for my birthday."

"Man, I used to read these all the time when I was a kid. There was always this ad here in the back…" He flipped to the back of the book and shook his head with a nostalgic smile as he showed one to Tony. "Yep. Laughin' Larry. There it is. You know, I got a whole box of these out in the garage. We'll go look through 'em sometime. You can take whatever you want."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah." Don set the comic book aside then looked at him seriously. "Listen, man, there's some stuff goin' on and since you're gonna be stayin' here for a few days, you should know about it."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, Katie's adopted. And it's long and complicated, but basically her birth father is here in New York and he wants to see her. Noelle and I are supposed to be taking her to Central Park tomorrow afternoon to meet him once I get off shift," Don explained.

"Just to visit, right?"

The seasoned detective could not quite keep a smile from this face at the concern in the young boy's question. Despite earlier reservations, by the time dinner had been over, both Katie and Tony seemed to be quite taken with each other. As he had tucked her into bed, Katie had double-checked with Don to make sure her new friend was still going to be there in the morning, and now it appeared that Tony had quickly developed a protective fondness for the toddler. "Yeah, just to visit. At least for now," he added quietly.

Tony furrowed his brow.

"Like I said, kid, it's kinda complicated. Listen, tomorrow when I'm at work, I'll do some checking and see if I can track down your uncle, all right? You okay to hang here with Noelle and Katie? They'll drop you off at the hospital on the way to park, and I'll pick ya up after."

"Sure. I don't want to be any trouble."

Don reached over and ruffled the kid's hair as he stood. "You're no trouble. Sleep well, and don't worry, okay? I'll find your uncle and we'll work all this out."

Tony just nodded.

"If you're not up before I leave for work in the morning, I'll see ya tomorrow afternoon."

"'k. Thanks, Flack."

"You got it. Good night."

Flack headed back downstairs. He retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge and stood there leaning against the counter as he downed the first half. Every time the past couple weeks replayed themselves in his head, his body tensed up again. The work-out in the morning had helped rid him of some of the aggression that had built up, but he was still angry at what life was throwing at him and his family. Especially his family. Noelle did not deserve any of this. She had been through enough.

He furrowed his brow then. Noelle. It concerned him a little that she had not gone at all postal about any of this. Sure, there had been a lot of tears. Even some apologies before he managed to convince her that none of this was her fault. But she had never really gotten angry. He knew she had a strong faith that had sustained her through everything she had been through before, but he still would not have begrudged her a broken vase or at least some harsh words.

"I thought you were coming to bed."

Don escaped his thoughts and glanced up as his wife appeared in the doorway, having changed into the tank top and a pair of his boxers she had taken to sleeping in. "On my way."

Seeing the nearly empty beer in his hands, she walked further into the room and opened the fridge. She pulled one out for herself, and another for him. She popped off the tops, handed him the fresh bottle then nodded towards the back. Without a word, he followed her out through the sliding glass doors and took a seat next to her on the wooden swing his father and hers had installed after they had helped Don finish the deck.

"Is Tony doing okay?" Noelle asked after a few minutes, breaking into the silence that had settled between.

"Yeah, he seems to be settling in okay."

She turned a little so she could look at him. She took in his profile as he brought the long neck to his lips, and she took a breath. It did not matter the situation; he always looked so strong and sexy and there was something about that calmed and reassured her. She shifted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, curling up beside him. "You're a good man, Donald Flack, Jr."

"Usually you just use my whole name when you're pissed off," he teased her, setting the beer bottle down on the desk and wrapping his arm around her to pull her even closer. "How you doin'?"

"Honestly? I'm terrified about tomorrow. I'm afraid Viktor's going to take one look at Katie and decide he doesn't want to let her go."

Don nodded slowly. He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, me, too."

Noelle looked up at him. "I wish you could have been that honest with me this morning. Instead of taking off before I woke up and beating the hell out of a heavy bag that never did anything to you."

He sighed heavily. "Babe…"

"I appreciate you trying to protect me. You say all the right things and you do everything you can to assure me. But, I'm not the only one going through this. We're supposed to be partners. That means that when you're pissed off about something, you're supposed to talk to me. And when I'm being selfish and not thinking to ask how you're doing, you're supposed to call me on it and tell me anyway."

He chuckled softly at that.

She looked at him a little sheepishly. "I've been really selfish through all of this, and I'm sorry."

"You got nothin' to apologize for, doll."

"And there you go, being all chivalrous and wonderful. But Don, you're in this thing, too. Katie's as much yours as she is mine. So if it's getting to you, I need you talk to me and tell me how you're doing."

"I'm pissed off about the whole thing," he confessed.

She nodded, but said nothing.

For a moment, he did not elaborate. He picked his beer back up and took a long pull from the bottle. Finally, he set it back down and turned a bit, taking his arm back from around his wife and running his hand through his hair with another sigh. "I do what I do 'cause I took an oath to serve and protect. And I'm pissed that can't protect my own wife from being hurt again. I'm angry that I promised to make you happy and since we got married, we've barely had five minutes without some mobster chasin' after ya or you bein' afraid for Katie. And I'm mad as hell that I shouldn't really hate this Viktor guy 'cause he really didn't do anything wrong, which means he has every right to try and take our kid away – but that makes me really hate him."

Noelle reached up and laid a hand against his cheek. "First off, you're my husband, not my bodyguard. It's not your job to protect me. It's your job to love me. And occasionally buy me a nice dinner," she added with a smirk, feeling triumphant when she saw him relax slightly. "And in spite of everything, this past year, since you walked into my life, has been the happiest for me. I love you. So much. You make me laugh, and you treat me like a queen, and you love our daughter, and you have from the beginning as if she was your own. _And_, if that's not enough, you're an incredible lover."

"You have no reference point, doll," he teased her. "For all you know, we're having really bad sex."

She laughed softly, a laugh that still intoxicated him.

"For the record, you're pretty incredible yourself."

She leaned up and kissed him gently. "As for everything else…Donnie, we can't control what Viktor's going to do. All we can do is do what we're supposed to as Katie's parents, and that's love and protect her."

"How are you not all pissed off about everything?"

Noelle curled back up against him. "Just because I haven't punched a wall or thrown anything doesn't mean I'm not angry. I just tend to get emotional and cry instead of screaming and hitting things. But at the same time – Don, I didn't make it through everything I did before I met you with my faith intact for it to fall apart now. God brought Katie to us for a reason. I have to believe it wasn't just to rip her out of our lives now."

They sat out there for a long while, both lost in their thoughts as they finished their beers. Then they locked up the house and retired to the master bedroom.

Noelle went into the ensuite and brushed her teeth again, then climbed into bed while Don got ready. When he slid in next to her a few minutes later, she quickly moved up into his side and laid her head on his chest. "Don't leave in the morning without saying goodbye, okay?"

"You got it. You still okay to let Tony hang here and then drop him off at the hospital on your way?"

"That's fine. Katie's quite taken with him."

"Well, it's mutual."

"Think you'll be able to track down his uncle?"

"I dunno. I'll run some checks, see what I can dig up. But even if I find him, there's not telling if he'll come back or not to take care a' Tony."

"What happens if he doesn't and the grandmother doesn't make it?" Noelle asked, already knowing the answer.

"Then OCFS will step in."

"Poor kid."

"I don't wanna think about that right now. We'll just get him through the next few days. Hopefully his grandmother will turn the corner. In the meantime, I appreciate you agreeing to take him in for now."

"I'm just glad we could help." She turned and looked up at him, kissing the edge of his jaw. "I love you."

Don kissed her back, quickly getting lost in her like he usually did. He soon had her tank top off and was working on her shorts when she pushed him away rather abruptly. "No…"

"You hear that?"

Don stopped his ministrations and listened. "I don't hear anything."

"I think Katie's crying."

"Noli, seriously, I don't hear anything."

After another moment, she no longer heard anything and turned back to her husband. "Sorry."

"Where were we?"

"I think you were just about to finish getting me naked and then ravish me," she replied with a grin.

"Ah, yes. That's where I was."

After they made love, Noelle quickly fell asleep. As exhausted as he was, Don could not seem to get sleep to come. He tossed and turned for a while then finally gave up and decided to get up so he would not wake his wife. He pulled on his pajama pants and slipped out of the room. He headed down the hall and opened Katie's door to check on her, and not only found his daughter asleep in her crib with Rocco parked down on the floor beside her, but Tony was sound asleep in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

Don walked over and nudged the boy's shoulder. "Hey, Tony, what are you doing in here, kid?"

Tony opened his eyes. "Oh, hey, Flack. Sorry, she was crying. I talked to her and she fell back to sleep, but I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"She was crying?"

The boy nodded.

Don ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks. She must like you if you got her back to sleep."

"Think she just had a bad dream or something."

"Why don't you head back to bed?"

"Okay. See ya tomorrow."

Don watched Tony head back to his room across the hall, then he walked over and looked down at his daughter. She was sound asleep, a small smile on her face as she sucked her thumb, her little chest rising and falling slowly. "I love ya, cutie," he whispered. "You just remember that tomorrow. Your mommy and I love you more than anything."


	70. Sacrifice

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Noelle glanced at her watch for the fifth time in about as many minutes, sighing at the time lack of any passage of time. Katie was nestled on her lap on the park bench, babbling away in the manner in which she often did. Noelle smoothed her hand over her daughter's curls, smiling then at the little girl's infectious giggles. "Ah, there's your daddy!"

Katie looked up, her eyes brightening as Don approached. "Dada!" She pushed herself off her mother's lap and ran over, laughing as Flack picked her up and swung her high in the air. "'Gain! 'Gain!" she insisted.

Don chuckled and just hugged her close for a moment. "Did you have a good day with your mommy and Tony?"

She nodded exuberantly. "Tony come back, wight?"

"Yeah, cutie, he's comin' back. He just had to go visit his grandma. And you, me and Mommy, we, uh – Well, there's someone who wants to meet you, so he's gonna come see us here at the park."

"'k, Daddy. I play now?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, sweetheart. Just stay where your mommy and I can see ya, okay?" He set her down and she ran a few feet away to the playground, while he wandered over and sat down next to his wife. "Hey, beautiful."

"You're actually on time."

He smirked a little at her tone. "You're surprised."

She smiled in spite of herself. "Maybe."

"Please, 'maybe.' You're surprised. Admit it. You thought I was gonna be late," he teased.

"Fine. I was pretty convinced you'd be late."

He flashed his dimples and leaned over and kissed her gently. "Everything go okay today with Tony?"

"It was fine. He's a good kid. And Katie's head over heels. I mean, you're this close to finding yourself comin' second to a fourteen year old boy."

He laughed softly.

"Did you find out anything about his uncle?"

Don sighed then as he sat back on the bench and looked over at their daughter who was exploring the jungle gym. "A couple leads, but nothing that's panned out yet. Not sure this guy wants to be found."

Noelle reached over and laid her hand on his knee.

He took her hand in his much larger one and absorbed the warmth. Moving his gaze from the playground, he noticed Viktor then, approaching the area with as much trepidation as the couple themselves were experiencing, it seemed. "He's here," Don whispered.

Noelle took a deep breath, praying for some courage.

They both watched as Viktor stopped at the edge of the playground, watching the children play, probably trying to decipher which one of them was his daughter. However, once his eyes fell on Katie, they never left her. He knew. He smiled in awe and watched as she entertained herself climbing around on the jungle gym.

Noelle felt frozen in place, but after a moment, Don released her hand, stood and walked over to the man. As he came to stand beside him, all he said in greeting was, "That's Ekaterina."

"I know, I see my Oksana in her. She is beautiful."

It was something Don could not argue against. "Yes, she is."

For a few minutes, both men just stood there, watching her play. At one point, she looked up at Don and waved with a toothy grin, not paying any particular attention to the stranger standing alongside her daddy.

"I need ask you a question, Mr. Flack," Viktor finally said.

"Please, call me Don." _Unless, that is, you're about to tell me you're going to take her away from us. Then it's Mr. Flack_, he thought to himself.

"Don, I know you are policeman."

"Yes, well, I'm a homicide detective."

"You check on me?" Viktor inquired.

Don took a breath, looking briefly over at his daughter before turning his attention back to the Ukrainian. "I know about your arrest. But I reviewed the file. I know that you did not commit those crimes."

A look of shame crossed the young man's face. "I judge friends poorly when I come to this country. I make many mistakes. But I not kill anyone. I never hurt person like that. I come here for better life. I not break laws."

"I know."

"When she asks one day, I not want Ekaterina think I bad man. Even in Ukraine, I was good man. But I see things when I in Kosovo. I could not go back there," Viktor explained. "But I was not bad man."

Don nodded, furrowing his brow a little as he tried to make sense of where Viktor was going with all of this.

Viktor looked over at the little girl, the expression on his face betraying the pain he felt. He looked at Flack. "When you tell me of Ekaterina, I try to figure out what means. I thought of finding way to bring Oksana here, and we be family. But she still too young. She not ready to have family. She so smart, she can be whatever she want to be. And I – She make choice and I have to honour her. And I have to do best thing for my Ekaterina."

Don's heart just about stopped. "What exactly are you saying?"

"You and your wife, you love her. You have give her good life. She will grow up happy and have best of everything. More than Oksana or I had or could give. But I need you tell her truth when she ask. We not leave her because we not want her. We give her up so she have better life. And maybe one day, you tell her of us."

Don felt tears sting his eyes. He waved Noelle over. Once she reached his side, he took her hand and squeezed it gently as he said, "We will tell her the truth, Viktor, you have my word. We decided a long time ago, she would always know where she came from."

The young man nodded. He watched Ekaterina playing for a few more moments as if convincing himself to say what needed to be said.

Noelle looked up at her husband expectantly, but he just kissed her temple as they waited.

Finally, Viktor looked back at them. "You have something I need sign?" he asked softly.

Having just come into the conversation, Noelle was taken aback. Her eyes widened as she realized exactly what was happening.

"You need to be sure about this. Perhaps you should speak with a lawyer," Don suggested, although he wanted more than anything to pull a random rollerblader or jogger off the path to act as a witness.

"I know what best."

"We, uh – They're legal documents. We'll need a witness. Can you come into the precinct one day this week?"

Viktor nodded.

Noelle felt her breath catch. "You, uh – You're making a very selfless decision. And we – We don't know how to thank you."

"I know you love her. You risk your life with her to do right by her. I know my daughter in good hands," he explained. "You not have to tell me. I would never have known. I thank you for letting me know I have daughter."

Noelle gripped her husband's hand, trying not to be giddy. "Listen, Viktor, if you ever want to see her, or if you want, we can send you pictures…We can work something out."

He shook his head. "Too hard. And I not want Ekaterina be confuse. But if she ask one day, then I will see her. Or if she ever need something…"

Don nodded gratefully. He had Noelle had already decided that they would offer visitation if it meant him not seeking custody, but Flack was relieved that Shevchenko was willing to make a clean break. He knew the sacrifice the man was making and he had to respect him for that. "Thank you. We – We're just –"

"Mommy! I go on swing now! Pwease?" Katie pleaded, running over and tugging on her mother's hand. "Pwease, Daddy?"

Don glanced over at Viktor and saw the tears in his eyes, and understood who much it must hurt him not only to let her go, but to hear her call Flack Daddy and have no understanding of who the other man even was. "One second, cutie."

She sighed, but then looked up at Viktor, keeping herself tucked against Noelle's leg. "Hiya," she greeted softly.

Viktor could barely speak, but he finally took a breath and smiled somewhat wistfully. He crouched down so he was eye level with the toddler. "Hello, Ekaterina."

She giggled at the use of her full name. "I Katie."

"Katie. You very pretty."

"I have a dog!" she announced. "He best fwiend. His name Wocco! And I have a Tony now. He's big. He come stay at our house. You sound funny!"

"Katie," Noelle chastised lightly.

"No, it okay," Viktor laughed, his eyes lighting up at his little girl's excitement. "I come from far away. Place called Ukraine. One day, maybe you will go there."

Her eyes widened.

"You be good girl for your mother and father, no?"

Katie nodded.

Viktor stood up and glanced back at Don and Noelle. "I must go. I thank you for agreeing me come here. Don, I call and I come sign papers. I do best for Ekaterina."

Don extended his hand. "Thank you."

Viktor shook his hand, took one last, lingering look at the little girl he had created with his lost love, then turned and walked away.

"Oh, my God," Noelle whispered. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He just – Donnie, he just agreed to give her up! He – Right?"

"Yeah," he said softly, still trying to process everything that had just gone down. It felt surreal. All the weeks of worrying, and it was over just like that? He reached down and picked a confused Katie up in his arms. "You still want to go on that swing, cutie?"

"Let go see Tony now," she requested instead.

Don ruffled her hair. "Tony's visiting his grandmother so how 'bout we give him a bit more time with her, huh? In the meantime, why don't we go for a swing, and then Mommy and I will get you an ice cream cone."

Her eyes just bugged out of her head in excitement, the prospect of an ice cream cone too good to pass up. "'K, Daddy! We have ice cweam! I have choc'late?"

"Sure, sweetheart. You can have a chocolate ice cream cone."

Noelle leaned up and kissed her daughter's cheek. "Do you want Daddy or me to push you on the swing, honey?"

"Daddy _and_ Mommy!" she requested.

"All right, sweetie. Maybe Daddy will even push your mommy on the swing." She looked up at Don with a wink, feeling lighter than she had felt in weeks. It was if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

Don set Katie down and took her hand, leading her back towards the playground, muttering jokingly, "How come nobody's offering to push _me _on the swing?"

"You're too big, silly!" Katie replied as if stating the obvious.

Noelle stood back for a moment as Don lifted Katie into one of the bucket seats and started pushing her. As bad as she felt for Viktor, and as grateful for his sacrifice as she was, she could not help thinking that the universe had got this one right, and the right daddy would be raising her little girl.


	71. United Front

**A/N** Sorry for the long delay in updates. It's been one of those weeks! Hopefully things will calm down a bit in the days ahead. In the meantime, here's a little bit of fluff to reward you for your patience!

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

Don flipped a batch of pancakes from the griddle onto a plate and set them on the kitchen table, whistling off-key as Lenny Kravitz sang "American Woman" on the radio.

"Yo, Flack, don't quit your day job, man," Tony kidded as he raced from the stairs into the room and slid into one of the chairs at the table.

Don chuckled. "Thanks for the advice, kid. Now, eat up. I gotta be at the precinct in an hour which means I gotta drop you off at the subway on the way. You got all your stuff for school?"

"Yeah, it's by the door."

"Good man. There's butter and syrup there on the table, and have some O.J. And there's milk there if you'd like that instead." He turned back to the griddle and poured batter for another batch, hearing Noelle and Katie moving around upstairs.

Tony shoveled a forkful of pancakes into his mouth, his eyes lighting up. "Hey, these are really good!" he exclaimed as well as he could with his mouth still full.

Don looked over his shoulder at the boy. "Would you swallow before you force me to break out the Heimlich? And by the way, don't sound to surprised!"

"Well, I wasn't sure if they were gonna be like your whistling."

Flack laughed, digging into a plate of pancakes himself as he kept an eye on the batch on the grill.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, kid. What's on your mind?"

"How'd you end up with someone as smokin' hot as Mrs. Flack?"

Don shook his head a little incredulously. "I got lucky. Why? What about you? You got yourself a girlfriend?"

The boy furrowed his brow at the question.

"Hey, what is it?"

"How do ya know if a girl likes you?"

Flack tried to hide his amusement. He remembered what it was like to be a teenager, hormones raging and confusion abounding. It was difficult enough when a boy had a father involved that cared. He could only imagine what this kid felt like without any kind of father-figure in his world, and then to have all this uncertainty on top of his normal, teenaged existence. "Are we speaking in generalities here or is there a specific girl you're interested in?"

Tony shrugged a little uncomfortably, eating another forkful of pancakes.

This time, Don could not quite suppress a smirk. "She got a name?"

Tony swallowed and took a sip of orange juice before muttering, "Sophia."

"Beautiful name."

A wistful smile crossed the boy's face. "Yeah. She's real pretty."

"You like her a lot, huh?"

"So, how do I figure out if she likes me back?"

"You guys friends?"

Tony nodded slowly.

"So, when you're hangin' out, talkin' or whatever, does she look at you? You know, make eye contact? Smile? Touch your arm or stand real close? I mean, these are all signs that she's interested," Flack explained.

The kid considered. "I guess. I mean, she laughs at my jokes."

"Even when they're bad?"

Tony grinned. "Yeah."

"She likes ya, man."

"So, what do I do?"

"You ask her out."

"Don!" Noelle chastised as she walked into the kitchen with Katie's hand in her own.

Flack looked at his wife innocently. "What?"

She shook her head with a roll of her eyes. She lifted Katie up into her booster seat and ruffled Tony's hair before she walked over and kissed her husband's cheek. "Pancakes, huh? Someone's in a good mood."

"We're celebrating. You hungry, cutie?" he asked his daughter.

Katie nodded excitedly, anticipating her favourite breakfast. "Pa'cakes!"

Noelle took one and cut it up for the toddler, pouring a little syrup on top before setting it in front of her. "So, Tony, what's this girl's name?" she asked.

"Sophia Ramirez," he replied, his cheeks colouring a little.

"If you'd like, why don't you invite her over for dinner some night this week? Make sure it's okay with her parents, and I can pick you both up from school. How's that sound?" she proposed.

"Really?"

"Sure. It's no problem."

The boy grinned from ear to ear. "Cool. Thanks, Mrs. Flack."

"Tony, please, I insist that you call me Noelle. You say Mrs. Flack and I'm looking around for my mother-in-law."

"Okay. Thanks, Noelle. You know, you're really cool. And you're definitely a lot nicer than Flack's last girlfriend. I'm glad he married you."

Noelle blushed a little. "Well, uh – Thanks, Tony. I'm glad he married me, too."

Katie giggled happily at the scene, her hands quickly getting covered in syrup.

"Listen, Tony, I'm gonna keep tryin' to find your uncle today, okay, man? But when was the last time you saw him?" Flack asked then as he set the last of the pancakes down in the middle of the table.

Tony considered, then shrugged. "I think he came back for Christmas a couple years ago, maybe? I don't really remember."

"He and your ma close?"

"I dunno. I don't think so. Never really seen him that much."

Don glanced at Noelle, them both sharing the same thought, _And this is who we are supposed to hand this kid over to?_ "Okay, well, don't worry. We'll figure it out. Noelle's gonna pick you up from school and take you to the hospital today, okay?"

"Tony go 'way?" Katie asked sadly then.

"I gotta go to school, kiddo," Tony said.

"We're outta here in ten," Don reminded him. "I'm just gonna go get ready."

"I go, too, Daddy?" Katie pleaded, holding out a pair of sticky hands.

Don, already in his shirt and tie, avoided a hug from his daughter, but kissed her on top of her head. "You stay here with your ma and Rocco. But then you guys are gonna pick up Tony from school, and we'll all be here for dinner."

"We'll do something fun , sweetie," Noelle assured her.

Ten minutes later, Don and Tony were in the car headed towards the city. The two talked about everything from school to sports until Don dropped him off at the subway, reminding him that Noelle would be by his school to pick him up at three o'clock.

At headquarters, Don sat through a morning briefing with his captain, then with no scenes requiring his presence, he set to work trying to track down Tony's uncle. He made phone call after phone call, repeatedly hitting dead ends. And as he continued to hit roadblocks, the thought of entrusting Tony to this man's care should he ever be found began to leave a bad taste in the homicide detective's mouth.

Finally, Don took advantage of the quiet shift to pay Tony's grandmother a visit in the early afternoon. Although her condition was still critical, he found her awake and alert upon his arrival. "Mrs. Alvarez, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" he asked gently.

"Have you found my son yet?" she questioned sadly, already knowing the answer.

"No, ma'am. But I'm doing all I can. Do you remember the last time you saw him?"

"Joseph comes when he can," she explained.

"But it's been a while?"

"One year, five months, and thirteen days," she replied, crossing herself.

Don nodded solemnly.

"Detective, I am dying. I will not leave the hospital. I cannot rest unless I know my dear Antonio will be taken care of."

"Mrs. Alvarez, I promise, Tony will be well taken care of. But even if I can track Joseph down, are you sure your son will want to take him in?"

"He's his family."

"Forgive me for saying so, ma'am, but in my line of work, I've learned that that doesn't always mean the same thing to every person." He hesitated for a moment. "Does Tony ever go see his mother?"

The old woman took a deep, tiring breath. "Loretta does not like Antonio to see her there. She writes him letters, and he sends cards and letters back to her. But she will not be released for at least another three years. She cannot care for him."

"What about Tony's father? Has he any contact over the years?"

"No. He left early on. To my knowledge, he's never attempted to make any contact. This is why you must find Joseph."

Don reached over and patted her hand. "I'll keep doing everything in my power. In the meantime, me and my wife are happy to have him stay with us."

"You always were a good man, Detective. Giving your free time to volunteer with those children, and now opening your home to my grandson. I am so grateful."

"He's a good kid, Mrs. Alvarez, and I'm going to do all I can for him. You have my word."

Hours later, Don and Noelle were sitting out on the back deck, keeping an eye on Katie as she played in her sandbox while Tony did his homework inside at the kitchen. Noelle listened intently as Don gave her a run down of his day, his frustration in trying to find the man who seemed the only prospect for guardianship of Tony becoming apparent.

"I think he should just stay here with us," Noelle finally said matter-of-factly.

"Doll…"

"What? He needs a home, we have one. Katie adores him. He idolizes you. And he thinks I'm cool," she added with a laugh.

Don smiled, though his expression quickly sobered again at the whole situation.

"Donnie, in all seriousness, we went through the whole home study process because we wanted to open our home to another child. But how is it right to go to some other country to adopt a baby when there's a kid right here that needs a home and a family? _Tony_ needs us. And maybe we need him, too."

Don felt little awed. His wife's compassion never ceased to amaze him. And her argument was one he had been replaying in his mind all afternoon since his visit with Olivia Alvarez.

"You think his grandmother would go for it?" Noelle asked then.

"I don't know. She really seems determined that he go live with his uncle. But maybe it's because she's afraid he'll end up in the system otherwise."

"Well, OCFS already okayed us to adopt. If his grandmother gave her consent, shouldn't we just be able to apply to be his foster parents? I mean, he's already staying here."

Don nodded. "Makes sense. I don't know if it would really be that easy, but we should see what has to be done."

She glanced inside at the teenage boy who was intently trying to finish his English homework in their kitchen, a dog-eared copy of Shakespeare's _As You Like It_ in one hand. "He's already had enough disruption. And we both know it's going to be hard enough for him to deal when his grandmother dies. The last thing he needs is to be shipped off to some stranger's home, and that includes this prodigal uncle. I think we should talk to his grandmother tomorrow. The quicker Tony can feel like he's safe and wanted, the less traumatic it will be when he loses her."

"Then we'll do it tomorrow. And I'll put in a call to OCFS."

Noelle grinned at her husband. "All right. And now that that's settled, we need to talk about this whole dating thing."

Don sighed. "Ah, c'mon, Noli. I wasn't suggesting he go get a motel room."

"Listen, we need to be a united front on this. And I say fourteen's too young for these kids to be going out alone."

"And if they're unsupervised, I agree. But I was talkin' a movie, or a trip to Coney Island. Or what you suggested. That's was perfect, you know, for Sophia to come hang here."

"You just remember that whatever we do, it sets a precedent. We can't let him go out with this girl now and then lock Katie in her room until she's thirty like you keep threatening," she pointed out.

"Hey, I don't care if it's a double standard. I'm not lettin' my little girl get mixed up with a guy like me or Messer were when we were kids."

"What are you planning on doing? Cleaning your gun whenever a guy comes by to pick her up for a date?"

"Works for me."

"Uh-huh." She furrowed her brow then. "You know, maybe you should talk to Tony."

"About what?"

She just looked at him.

"Whoa, you mean, about the whole sex thing?"

Noelle nodded.

"Christ."

"C'mon, Don. He's fourteen, but he's never had a father around and God knows what kind of influence his uncle has been. Whatever he knows, or think he knows, he's probably picked it up at school or from his friends. We both know how reliable some of that information can be."

He sighed, although he knew she was probably right. "I thought I was going to have like ten, eleven years before I had to do this."

She laughed. "Life throws curveballs, baby."

"Okay, I'll talk to him. But let's let things settle down first."

"Fair enough. In the meantime, I think Shakespeare's quickly becoming the bane of his existence. I'm going to go inside and see if I can help. Can you give Katie her bath tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm on it." He watched as his wife disappeared inside and sat down at the kitchen table next to Tony and offered her assistance. He smiled as he recalled Tony's question from earlier that morning, _How'd you end up with someone as smokin' hot as Mrs. Flack?_ He shook his head, wondering that himself. He and Noelle were so in sync sometimes it was almost scary.

"Daddy?"

"Hey, cutie. What's up?" Don asked, lifting his little girl up onto his lap.

"Story?" she requested.

"Ah, you want a story? All right, how 'bout I tell ya the story about a king and queen and their little princess Katie and prince named Tony?"

Katie giggled. "Yay! And doggie named Wocco!"

"Okay, and their royal dog named Rocco. So, once upon a time, in a big castle in a kingdom called Queens…"


	72. Turn, Turn, Turn

It had been a long week. With little convincing, Tony's grandmother had agreed to let Don and Noelle become the boy's guardians. Since she had legally been given custody after her daughter's incarceration, it was as simple as amending her will, without having to get OCFS involved. However, it had still taken a couple days to finalize all of the paperwork; and, with her physical condition deteriorating daily, they had been forced to prepare themselves to call in OCFS and petition for emergency guardianship if need be. Amidst that, a heat wave hit the city and crime rose as it always seemed to when the air was thick and the temperature stiflingly high, forcing Don to work a couple double shifts and overtime on the rest. And when Thursday rolled around without any word from Viktor, Noelle began to fear that Shevchenko had changed his mind; despite his outward assurances, Don was starting to wonder the same. Then Friday, as he packed up his desk in order to head to the hospital after getting a call that Mrs. Alvarez' time was near, Viktor had wandered into the pit. His eyes had been red from lack of sleep and probably some tears, but he had finally signed the papers relinquishing all rights to Katie. Don himself had nearly cried at that point.

Just after seven on Saturday morning, Olivia Alvarez passed away peacefully. Tony and Don were there with her, and the boy, who had remained stoic and brave for days, finally let down the façade he had been fronting for days and cried in the detective's arms. Although he knew he had a home and a family waiting for him, his grandmother had been his only constant for most of his life and he felt her loss deeply. Don and Noelle knew there were going to be difficult days ahead.

Late Monday morning, Tony's grandmother was laid to rest after a private mass, just as she had requested in the last days of her life. Don and Noelle's families gathered at the Flacks' home afterwards to offer their support to the newest member of the clan. The teen soon disappeared into his room, not ungrateful for the people who seemed to care for him, but ill-equipped to deal with so much attention and comfort, especially from people he barely knew. For a while, Don let him be, but after the last of their guests departed, he headed up and rapped softly on the door to the guestroom.

An eternity seemed to pass before a stilted voice called out, "Come in."

Don opened the door and took only a couple steps inside. "Hey, man. You doin' okay?"

Tony was sitting on the edge of the bed, still in the suit Don had taken him out the day before to buy. His head was bowed, his cheeks damp from the tears he had waited to cry until he was on his own. He did not glance up, did not really even acknowledge Flack's question except for the slightest hint of a shrug.

Don hesitated for a moment before he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his own dress slacks. He was not sure what to say or do. Teenaged boys were unfamiliar territory for him. Sure, he had been one – but that was half a lifetime ago. Things had changed a lot since then. On top of that, he could not really relate to the situation Tony had found himself in. Don had always been surrounded by a large family, one that for the most part was pretty close. He idolized his old man, he loved his mother, and even though he did not see his siblings all that often, they were always in touch. The only living relative that Tony really knew was locked away in prison for at least another three years; and with no word from his uncle, it probably seemed like he was inconsequential to him. Don imagined that he was feeling pretty alone. And no doubt, he was probably overwhelmed by his newfound family and a little wary about their intentions.

"If you want to be alone, I get it," Don started finally. "But I just wanted to make sure you know that Noelle and I are here. If you want to talk, or just _not_ be alone, we're here."

For a moment, Tony did not say anything in response. Then, without raising his head, he said, "Thanks for never tellin' her, you know, about me stealing the money from that guy at the coffee shop."

Don nodded, then realized the kid couldn't see him since he was still staring at the hardwood floor. So, he said simply, "I'll always have your back, man. That's not to say there won't be consequences if you ever pull anything like that again."

Tony smiled slightly at that. "No worries." He took a breath then looked up at the detective. "You know, she used to tell me there were people like you and Mrs. Flack, but I never really believed her. Most people in the neighbourhood are just out for themselves and wouldn't do what you guys did."

Don walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him. "Hey, it's not some big sacrifice to invite you to come stay here. I wish the circumstances were different, but we're happy to have you."

"Even if my Uncle Joseph comes back, can I can still stay here with you?" he asked then, evidently concerned by the possibility.

"If that's what you want, kid, then yeah. This is your home now, for as long as you'd like."

Tony visibly relaxed, clearly relieved.

"If there's anything else you're worried about or you wanna ask, I hope you know can always talk to me, all right?"

Tony just nodded but said nothing further.

Flack could tell that he really just wanted to be alone for a while, so he stood, patting Tony's shoulder gently and reminding him that he and Noelle would be right downstairs if he needed anything. He then headed out, closing the bedroom door behind him, and returned downstairs. He found his wife cleaning up in the kitchen, so he rolled up his shirt sleeves and took to helping her.

"How's he doing?" Noelle finally asked as she finished loading the dishwasher.

Don grabbed a beer from the fridge for him and his wife and after he popped off the tops, he jumped up onto the counter and took a long pull. "As good as can be expected, I guess. But he didn't say much. Although he wanted to know if he got to stay here if his uncle came back."

"Really?"

Don nodded with a smile. He could tell his wife was pleased with that. He knew that she had already grown quite attached to the boy and did not relish the thought of him being taken away.

Noelle took a sip of her own beer, then moved in between Don's legs and leaned up to kiss him gently. "Maybe if Antonio's up to it, we should all go to Coney Island or something tomorrow."

"That's a good idea."

"I have 'em every now and then."

He chuckled lightly and drew her close, kissing her again.

Lost in one another as they indulged in long, deep kisses, they did not hear the sound of the front door opening or the footsteps in the hallway. It was the sound of, "Mommy! Daddy!" that finally broke them apart.

"Oh, hey there, sweetheart!" Noelle greeted a little sheepishly, picking her daughter up as Katie ran to her.

Don shrugged at his best friend who stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face. "Hey, Mess."

"Next time we'll ring the bell," Danny kidded.

Noelle blushed then looked at her daughter in her arms. "Did you have a fun day with Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsay?"

Katie nodded exuberantly. "We go swim! And Aunt Lindy wead me stories and me and Livvie pway with her toys and we watch _Cars_!" she explained all in one breath.

"Wow! You did all of that? Well, then you must be pretty tired," Noelle commented. "I think we should go give you a bath and then we'll put you to bed."

"I _not_ tired!" the toddler insisted. "I go see Tony! And we pway with Wocco and then we wead stories, 'k?"

Don shook his head with a laugh, jumping down off the counter. "Why don't you go have your bath, and we'll take it from there, all right, cutie?" he suggested, knowing she would probably have a hard time keeping her eyes open once she had her bath and got into her pajamas.

"'k, Daddy."

"Can you say thank you to Uncle Danny for playing with you today?" Noelle prompted the little girl as she set her back down on her feet.

"T'ank you, Unca Danny!" Katie exclaimed with a hug around his legs.

Danny ruffled her hair affectionately. "Ah, anytime, kiddo."

"Thanks again, Dan." Noelle kissed his cheek, then took her daughter's hand and led her upstairs.

"You want a beer, man?" Don offered once they were alone.

"Yeah, sure."

Don got another bottle from the fridge, then the duo headed out onto the back porch.

For a while, the guys sat there in silence, Don letting the day settle and Danny giving his friend time to unwind. Then after a few minutes, it was Messer who finally broke into the quiet of the evening. "You doin' okay?" he asked.

"Ah, yeah, I'm good. It's been a long few weeks, but it's all good. But right now, I'm more worried about Tony than anything else. He's got a hard road ahead of him."

"The kid seems tough. And he's got you and Hansen in his corner. It's a good thing what you guys are doing."

"I'm just wonderin' if we're in over our heads. What do I know about raising a teenager? I mean, Noli thinks I should talk to him about sex. What the hell am I gonna tell this kid?"

Danny laughed heartily, earning him a glare from his best friend. "I, uh – Yeah, ya might want to preface that one with 'do as I say not as I did' there, Don."

"Tell me about it. Needless to say, I'm puttin' that one off for a while." He took another long pull from his beer bottle before he sighed. "Listen, I really appreciate you and Linds takin' Katie today. She would've just been confused if she'd been here, and today really needed to be Tony."

"Ah, it was no problem. Matt and Liv love it when she comes to play. And trust me, once you've got two, throwin' in a third isn't a lot of extra effort. Now you, with a teenager, who has the potential to be just like we were at that age, now that I don't envy, man."

"Christ. I remember hotwiring one of my old man's cruisers when I was fifteen. What if he _is_ just like we were?"

Danny chuckled. "Then you're screwed. So, good luck with that. I got thirteen years before I got anything to worry about." He polished off his beer then stood, putting a hand on his buddy's shoulder. "You call us if you need anything, huh? Except for the sex talk. That's all yours, man. All yours. We still on for hoops Wednesday?"

"Yeah. I'll see ya after work." Don watched Danny leave, then sat out for a while on his own, finishing off his own beer and letting the stress of the past few weeks drain out of him. Finally, he returned inside, cleaned up the empty beer bottles and headed upstairs to see how Noelle was succeeding at putting their little girl to bed.

As he neared the top of the stairs, he was surprised to see the door to the guest bedroom open. He smiled then as he heard Tony's voice reciting the familiar words of Dr. Seuss. He walked across the hall and leaned against the doorway to Katie's room, finding the teenager in the rocking chair with Katie on his knee, reading to her from her favourite book. She was grinning ear-to-ear at having her new big brother read _Green Eggs and Ham_ to her.

Noelle came up and wrapped her arms around her husband from behind. "He just came out and volunteered as I was putting her in her p.j.'s."

"That's a good sign."

"She is so crazy about him."

"She might be the best thing to help him the next little while."

"'gain!" Katie pleaded as he finished the last page. "Wead 'gain!"

"Ah, it's time for you to go bed, cutie," Don cut in, walking into the room.

Katie pouted. "No story?"

"I think you've been just about storied out today, huh? Beside, we've got a big day tomorrow. What say we all go to Coney Island?"

Katie had no idea what that meant, but her father sounded enthusiastic, so that was enough for her.

Don looked at Tony. "What do ya say? Sound okay?"

"I don't have to go to school?" Tony asked.

"Well, there's only a few days left. If you want to go back, you can. It's up to you," Noelle explained. "But we thought that maybe the four of us would do something together tomorrow if you were cool with that."

He offered a small smile. "That would be okay."

"All right, then Katie, that means you need to go to bed, cutie. Otherwise you're not gonna be able to eat cotton candy or corndogs or go on the ferris wheel 'cause you'll be too tired," Don pointed out.

Her eyes widened at everything she had to look forward to. "I not be tired. I'll go sleep now."

Noelle laughed at her husband's successful use of reverse psychology. "Okay. Say goodnight to Tony."

Katie hugged him and kissed his cheek, then jumped down off his lap. "We have ice cweam too?" she asked excitedly.

"You can't go to Coney Island without ice cream, kid," Tony teased her. He patted her head then looked at Don and Noelle. "I'm gonna go read for a while then go to sleep myself if that's okay."

"Of course," Don agreed. "You let us know if you need anything, all right?"

"I will. Thanks." He nodded at Noelle, then wandered out across the hall to his room.

"I think he's going to be okay," Noli observed. "Give him some time, and he'll be back to being whatever a normal fourteen year old is."

"Great. We're screwed."

****

XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY

**A/N So I don't have a law degree, so the first paragraph of this might not have been plausible, but it seemed logical to me and I wanted to get things moving along LOL Thanks to all of you who are still reading. Don and Noelle have had quite a bit of drama in their lives lately, and I think a toddler and a teenager will provide challenge enough so there will be quite a bit of fluff coming up... So stay tuned. Next: Tony asks if Sophia can come visit!**


	73. Punk'd

Out of the corner of her eye, Noelle saw Don make a grab for the apple sitting next to the brown paper bag on the counter. She reached out and slapped his hand away. "That's for Tony," she chastised her husband.

"There's more in the fridge," Don replied.

"Your arm broken?"

"What?"

"Just wondering why _you_ couldn't get one of the ones in the refrigerator. Now hands off."

Don walked over and opened the fridge, grabbing a Red Delicious from the crisper with a shake of his head. "Don't take this the wrong way, babe, but it's kinda uncool to have your stepmom pack your lunch for ya. That's one thing that hasn't changed since I was Tony's age."

"It's not lunch. It's a snack. He said he gets hungry between English and History," she explained.

Don took a bite of his apple, and then glanced curiously into the paper bag. "This is a snack?" he asked, taking an inventory of the apple, a peanut butter sandwich, and a yogurt.

"You ever noticed how much that boy eats? He's worse than you. I don't get how you guys can eat so much and stay so thin."

"How come you never pack _me _a snack?" Don inquired then.

She laughed then at the hint of a pout on his face. "Do you want me to pack you something to eat between the stabbing victim and the GSW to the head?" she teased him. She walked out of the kitchen and crossed the hallway, standing at the base of the stairwell. "Tony, fifteen minutes! If you want some breakfast, you better get down here, honey!"

Don smiled to himself as he poured a cup of coffee and topped up his wife's, amazed at how easily and naturally she had taken on a maternal role with Antonio.

As she wandered back into the room, she said, "I think this is good, him _asking_ to go back to school to finish out the year."

"Yeah. But I guess we should figure out what to do once school's out. I'll check out the Y here in town and see if they've got the same kind of stuff goin' on as the one in the city."

Tony came racing into the room then, knowing he was running short on time. He took a seat at the table and poured some cereal into the bowl Noelle had set out. "Is it okay if I invite Sophia over for dinner sometime this week?"

Noelle just about choked on her coffee. "Sorry? What?"

"You said before that I could have her over. Is it still okay?" the boy repeated.

Don quirked an eyebrow at his wife as if saying, _It was _your_ idea_.

"Uh, yeah, of course. It's fine," Noelle agreed weakly.

"Cool! Thanks," Tony replied excitedly.

As he shoveled a spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth, Noelle looked at her husband with a hint of panic.

Once the teen headed back upstairs to brush his teeth and grab his knapsack, Don turned to his wife. "It's just dinner. We'll both be here to supervise. _Katie'll_ be here. And you know she idolizes him. You think she's going to leave them alone for five minutes?" he pointed out.

"That's fine for now. But what if this goes somewhere?"

"Then we'll deal with it. We just set down some ground rules."

"You have to talk to him, Donnie. He's fourteen, almost fifteen. He's just gone through a traumatic event, he's all over the place, and he's probably not thinking completely straight," she explained.

"Honey, that's a typical day for a teenager."

"Well, then you know how important this is. You really need to talk to him."

"Okay. I get it. I'll talk to him. I promise."

"On the way to school."

"_What_? You mean _today_?" Don asked as if she had just requested that he broker a deal to bring about peace in the Middle East before he came home for supper.

"Yes, today. He really likes this girl and he wants her to come over, so you need to talk to him now. You need to tell him that he's not allowed to be alone in his room with her with the door closed, or down in the rec room, and that they have to be supervised or with a group if they go out. Most importantly, you need to make sure he understands all of the possible consequences of sex. I suggest you scare him bad enough that he won't want to sit within ten feet of her."

Don furrowed his brow and ran a weary hand through his hair. "Noli…"

"Oh, and I'd refrain from telling him the story about prom night in the back of Jump's Cadillac," she added.

"Jesus Christ."

She chuckled then. Somehow, seeing him nervous relaxed her. "I know you probably think I'm completely over-reacting. I just – Tony's a good kid and we made a promise to his grandmother that he would be well taken care of."

"And he will be, sweetheart. I promise. I'll, uh – Yeah, I'll talk to him."

"You're the best. I love you."

"You, too, doll." He leaned down and kissed her. He then took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he expected to be a very uncomfortable car ride.

As they drove through Queen's Village towards the 495, Don and Tony both sat in silence. Don was going over and over possible segue ways into the "talk" in his mind. However, nothing he came up with sounded right. He tried then to remember what his father had said to him back in the day, but the only memory he really had was of feeling horrified throughout the entire conversation.

Finally, after merging onto the highway, Flack realized there was no easy way to get into it, and he sighed audibly. "Listen, Tony…"

"Yeah?"

"About you and Sophia. Noelle and I have no problem with you having her over. But we do have some rules, you know, about dating and all that." He glanced over to see the boy looking at him expectantly.

"Okay…"

"Okay. Right. So, uh – Well, as long as you're living under our roof –" Don cleared his throat. How could he stare down the vilest of cold-blooded killers and make them crack, but he felt his throat constricting at the thought of talking to a fourteen year old kid about girls? "Listen, if you're in your room with Sophia, you need to keep the door open. And we'd prefer you not have her over if neither of us are around. And if you want to take Sophia out somewhere, you know, it's cool, but you either need to have one of us with you or you have to be with a group of your friends."

Tony considered the ground rules and then shrugged. "Okay."

"Uh, okay. Good." Don's eyes on the road, he took a deep breath. "And listen, y'know, the more you hang out with Sophia, you might find that you're feeling, uh – you know, feeling certain things." He glanced over and saw the boy's face betraying a hint of confusion – which then quickly turned to the terror Don remembered all too well.

"Are you talkin' 'bout sex?" Tony asked, his tone pleading for a negative response.

"Well, uh – How much do ya really know?"

Tony's eyes widened even more. "Enough."

"Okay, well, then you know that the best way to protect yourself and any girl you're with is just to not have sex in the first place, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Don furrowed his brow. He really began to wonder how much Antonio really knew anything beyond the mechanics. "Look, there's gonna come a point where you're gonna think you're ready. But if you don't have all of the facts –"

"I, uh – Listen, Flack, they told us about this stuff in health class. So can we just talk about the Mets or something?"

"Tony, I know this is kinda uncomfortable, but it's important. And trust me, there's a lot of stuff they don't cover in health class. Like, pretty soon you're gonna – You know, your buddies are gonna be braggin', or maybe you're even gonna believe that you're in love. But trust me here when I say that no guy who respects a girl as much as he should if he's gonna sleep with her will be bragging about it to his friends. And if you don't have that kind of respect for a girl, and if you're not really in love with her, you have no business even contemplating having sex in the first place."

Tony was silent as he considered Don's words. "How will I know if I'm really in love with her?" he finally asked.

Don found himself smiling almost wistfully then. "You'll know. And I know that sounds kinda vague, but once you're there, you'll get it. But even that, that's not reason enough to have sex. It's a responsibility, man. You don't just gotta worry about the possible consequences like pregnancy or STD's, but you gotta be careful and you gotta be sure, 'cause it's not somethin' you can take back. And that can mess with you. And it can mess with a girl. So you need to make sure that you're takin' her feelings and all the possible ramifications into consideration when you finally decide to take that step. You get what I'm sayin'?"

"I guess."

"Good." He nodded then, praising himself for how well their discussion had gone. Unfortunately, the moment quickly passed and he heard Noelle's voice in his mind telling him he was crazy if he thought he was finished. "Look, Tony, I know I'm not your dad. And I know you've been takin' care of yourself for a long time. But fact is, you're fourteen. You've got your whole life ahead of ya. And you know what? You're gonna make a lot of mistakes as you continue to grow up. But if I can stop you from repeating the mistakes _I _made, then I got a responsibility to you to do so. So listen to the voice of experience, man. Havin' sex or doin' anything _else_ for that matter 'cause you think all your friends are doin' it or 'cause you think it's lame not to be doin' it, well, that's just a bad way to go. I don't want you sittin' in a car with your own kid twenty years from now tellin' him not to make the same mistakes _you_ made, all right?"

Tony sunk down in his seat, a little embarrassed about the whole topic of conversation, but also overwhelmed by how much Don actually seemed to care. "All right," he finally muttered.

"I want you to know that you can always come to me and talk to me about anything. Or if it's somethin' you'd be more comfortable talkin' to Noelle about, you know, she's a great listener."

He just nodded and sat there in silence for a few minutes before he finally said, "I kinda have one question."

Don cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, 'course. Shoot."

"How come they call it the birds and the bees? You didn't say anything about insects or nothin'."

Flack could not help but laugh at the question. "Yeah, well, I never really got that either. I guess it's just a euphemism."

"A what?"

"Like a code word or phrase."

"Oh. Like, 'cause back in the old days nobody could say 'sex.'"

"Yeah, somethin' like that."

"Like when you were a kid?"

Don scoffed. "Yeah. 'Cause that was back in the old days."

Tony nodded, satisfied, as he sat back in the passenger seat.

Once he had sent Antonio off to school, Don headed to the precinct and settled behind his desk, groaning at the pile of paperwork awaiting his attention in his inbox. Although he realized the large stack of reports were not going to complete themselves, he instead picked up the phone and called home.

"Hello?" Noelle answered on the third ring.

"Mission accomplished," he announced.

"How'd it go?"

He shrugged, then realized she could not see him. "Okay, I guess. He seemed just as revolted as I was when Pop tried to have the same conversation. But he listened to what I had to say. And I don't think you got anything to worry about."

"Hmm. Interesting. Tony called between first and second period and asked if Sophia could come over _tonight_. So, good job, Detective. Looks like you really scared him straight," she commented sardonically.

Don sat back in his chair. "He knows the rules, Noli. And if he breaks them, there will be consequences. Don't worry. We dodged the first bullet."

"We'll see, Donnie. This girl Tony likes? Yeah, her last name is Ramirez. As in Franklin Ramirez. She's the daughter of the FDNY's Fire Commissioner."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Fire Commissioner? No way. My stepson ain't datin' anyone connected to FDNY's pain in the ass commish. No way in hell."

Noelle tried to keep the amusement she was feeling out of her voice. She knew that there was a long-standing, playful rivalry between the NYPD and FDNY. However, she had heard both her husband and father-in-law actually complain about the commissioner on more than one occasion over various things. "I'm afraid you might not have much of a choice there, baby."

He groaned. "First the talk with Tony and now this? Am I bein' punk'd? I mean, is that Kutcher guy goin' to pop out with a camera next?"

"If you see Ashton Kutcher, you can just send him my way," she teased.

"So not funny right now, doll. So not the least bit amusing. You know you said we were settin' a precedent with Tony, that whatever we did with him we'd have to do with Katie, right? It too late to lock him in his room 'til he's thirty-five? I'm startin' to think that sounds like a good plan."


	74. The Fire Commissioner's Daughter

**A/N No disrespect meant to the wonderful FDNY in this chapter. It just provides some good drama to paint one of them as the bad guy. **

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY**

"What do you have, Don?" Mac asked as he and Danny ducked under the crime scene tape and approached the homicide detective at the scene of the city's most recent homicide in a secluded section of Central Park.

Don looked down at his memo book. "Louisa Gregory, twenty-seven. Relative newcomer to the city. She works as a waitress at Tavern-on-the-Green, got off shift around one a.m. last night. No cash left in her purse, no credit cards, her watch is gone…Most likely victim of a robbery, but I'll let you guys work your magic and prove me right since it appears there were no witnesses per usual."

"Who found her?" Danny asked as he crouched down beside the body.

"Uh, homeless guy. He's over there," Flack replied, nodding towards a nearby bench where a rough-looking older gentleman was talking with a uniform.

As Mac crouched down across from Danny and took in the appearance of the victim, he observed: "Obvious ligature marks around the neck…"

"Petichial hemorrhaging, boss," Danny added.

"So, COD is strangulation?" Don surmised, jotting down some notes.

"Looks like. You got anything else yet?" Messer questioned.

Flack shook his head. "It's up to you guys now. And by all means, take your time."

Danny stood, looking at his best friend with a hint of amusement. "There some reason you don't wanna go home? You and Hansen have a fight?"

"Nah, me and Noli are fine. It's this stuff with Tony and the girl he likes."

Messer smirked. "You had that talk yet? 'Cause I'd appreciate a video copy. Might be a good educational tool in ten, twelve years."

"Thanks, Mess. Your support is overwhelming," Flack deadpanned.

"So, what's really going on?"

"The girl Tony's got a crush on? She's Frank Ramirez' daughter."

Mac raised an eyebrow as he stood, too. "Small world."

"It's like some bad, cosmic joke."

"Ah, what's the big deal?" Danny shrugged. "They're fourteen. This thing'll be over inside a week."

"Great. So Ramirez can be even more of an ass when he blames _my_ kid for breakin' _his_ kid's heart."

"Maybe she'll break Tony's heart," Danny suggested optimistically.

"Not helping, Messer," Don glowered.

"So, what's going on tonight that you don't want to be home?" Mac cut in.

"Sophia's coming over for dinner. This has gotta be karma, right? This is the nuns gettin' back at me for feeling' up Marissa Barton behind the bleachers in the high school gym, ain't it? I knew that was gonna come back and bite me."

Mac chuckled, bemused. "It's called raising a teenager, Don."

Hours later, Flack returned home, having missed dinner after getting stuck in interrogation. The murder had turned out to be an almost open-and-shut case with the victim's boyfriend quickly becoming the prime suspect. The man broke down quickly during questioning and confessed. However, by the time Don filed the required paper work and worked his way through traffic, it was almost eight when he walked through the front door.

He found Katie in her pajamas colouring at her play table in the living room, Tony and Sophia both sitting on the couch watching _National Treasure: Book of Secrets_. Tony paused the movie long enough to introduce Flack to his friend, who besides being very pretty was also extremely polite. She looked nothing like her father with long, almost black hair and big, blue eyes. Don could not remember ever meeting Ramirez' wife, but he guessed Sophia must take after her.

After locking away his gun as had become custom since living with a toddler, he wandered into the kitchen where his wife was at the table working on her latest piece for _Moda Bella_. She greeted him with a kiss then alerted him to dinner waiting to be warmed up in the microwave. He ate, then took Katie up to bed and tucked her in after a quick story.

"Donnie, quit spying," Noelle chastised lightly a short while after his return downstairs, at which time he had taken to standing in the doorway of the kitchen where he could peer across the hall into the living room. She grabbed her husband's bicep and pulled him back into the kitchen.

He turned around with an innocent shrug. "I wasn't spying. I was _supervising_," he clarified. "Wasn't that the agreement?"

"Uh-huh. And at what point today did we switch roles? I mean this morning, you were all 'we'll set ground rules, I'll talk to him, it's nothing to worry about' and now – You know, you've been in a bad mood since you got home. Is this still about who Sophia's father is?" she asked a little incredulously.

"There's like eight million people in this city. Why does Tony have to go get himself mixed up with the Fire Commissioner's daughter?"

Noelle rolled her eyes. "Is this some kind of NYPD-FDNY thing? Or is there something else between you and Frank Ramirez? Because when I was talking to his wife on the phone earlier, she sounded like a lovely woman. And Sophia is really very nice. You should be happy that Tony's interested in such a sweet girl."

Don just frowned as he went to grab a bottle of beer from the fridge. However, he quickly thought better of it with Sophia in the house and pulled out a bottle of water instead. "So, what, you're okay with this now? If they start dating?"

"So long as they follow the rules…" She shrugged. "Look, I had a long talk with Sophia's mother, and they have very similar rules in their house. So, I really don't think there's anything for us to worry about."

Don took a sip of water, then shook his head. "I liked it better when you were all freaked out about this."

She laughed softly. "Honey, c'mon…"

He glanced into the living room where Sophia and Tony were still watching their movie, a definite few inches of space between them, then he looked back at his wife and gestured towards the back porch.

Noelle grabbed a bottle of water for herself then followed her husband out back. As they sat down together on the wooden swing she looked at Don expectantly.

"Look, I got nothing against Sophia. She seems like a real nice girl. But her father's another story," he started.

"So I'm gathering. You know, you've mentioned him before. So has Jump. So, what's the deal?" Noli inquired.

"For Pop, it started back in the day, when Frank was just risin' up the ranks of the FDNY. A few cases, a few clashes over how things should be done. For me, I've just never liked the way the guy operates. And things have only gotten worse since he became Commissioner."

"Why? Is this just a personality thing, you know a clash of two strong egos, or is it something more?"

"You sayin' I got an ego?"

Noelle smiled. "Babe, you're good at what you do, and you know it. And doing what you do, that's not necessarily a bad thing. But I could see there being conflict with someone who has a similar personality."

"Well, that's not the problem with Ramirez. Look, the guy's a jerk, all right? He's real old school. He was promoted after 9/11, when the FDNY was still riding the crest of the wave of popular opinion and glory. And don't think I got any problem with them getting the credit they deserved. I was proud to work alongside those guys during that whole thing. But Ramirez walked into his position and from the start he's acted as if the FDNY is some kind of superior organization, and he brings that attitude onto every scene with him. He came up with the likes of Gerrard and Sinclair, neither of which ever had any respect for the CSI Unit, and he has the exact same approach," Don explained with some disgust. "Noli, you should see how he treats Mac whenever there's any kind of joint investigation and they're forced to work together. And Stella could tell you a few things, too. When I say he's old school, I mean he's not exactly in agreement with a woman comin' up in the ranks. Pop might have come out of the same school, but at least he moved with the times. My old man's got nothin' but respect for the CSI's or for any woman who's earned her stripes." He took another sip of water as he let his wife absorb everything he had told her, but she could tell that there was more – and that whatever else there was, it was at the root of Don's dislike of the man. "Then there was the whole Dobson thing."

Noelle furrowed her brow then. Don had told her all about Dean Truby, the incident with his memo book, and Truby's subsequent arrest for murder. And he had shared the fallout that led to Dobson's death and Mac being brought up before the IAB. She knew that it was still a sore subject, even years later. "What does Ramirez have to do with all of that?"

"A reliable source told me that Ramirez submitted a statement against Mac. I'm pretty sure Gerrard or Sinclair arranged it, and fortunately the whole case got thrown out before he was called to actually testify. But the point is, there was a line drawn, and we ended up standing on opposite sides."

Noelle shook her head as she processed everything she had been told. "Well, I get why you don't really like this guy. I'm not exactly sure I do after what you've told me. And I'd go so far as to guess that he'd have a lot to say about me adopting a child alone and my choice of profession. But we can't hold the sins of the father against his daughter. I mean, Tony _really_ likes this girl. You should've seen him at dinner, honey. And hasn't he been through enough without us making things difficult because we're not crazy about the family his girlfriend comes from? He doesn't need some kind of Capulet-Montague complex on top of everything else."

Don rolled his eyes at his wife's literary comparison. "I don't think those kids are about to get themselves any poison from the local apothecary there, babe. And don't think I'm sayin' I want things to get uncomfortable for either of them. But I'm pretty sure Ramirez ain't got anything flattering to say about me. He's probably at home right now complaining to his own wife about the family his daughter's gettin' herself mixed up in."

"So, we take the high road. For the sake of our kid."

Don sighed. "I wish it was that easy, sweetheart. I really do."

"Donnie, we just won't make it hard. Leave the work at work. For Tony, try not to think of Sophia's father as Franklin Ramirez, Fire Commissioner, and just approach him as a dad."

"This isn't some high school football rivalry that I just can't let go of."

"I know. And I'm not trying to make light of what's gone down between the two of you. C'mon, Donnie. I love Mac and I have the utmost respect for everything he stands for. I'm not about to embrace anyone who tried to strip him of everything he's earned. But we don't even know if this is going to go anywhere. They're just fourteen, right? They could be crushing after other people by next week. But if it does go somewhere…Honey, Tony needs to believe that coming to live with us was the best thing that ever happened to him. If we let who Sophia's father is get between them, he's not going to feel safe here. We can't let that happen. He's had enough bad stuff happen to him already."

Don nodded. "I won't let my personal issues with Ramirez wreck this for Tony. But I can't just pretend they don't exist, either."

"Fair enough. Look, for tonight it's a non issue. I'll take Sophia home when the movie's done and we'll just wait to see what happens next."

Don released a breath. "Thanks, babe."

They were still sitting out enjoying the warm, June night together a while later when the sliding glass doors opened and Tony appeared with Katie in his arms, Sophia at his side. "She was crying," he explained. "I think she had a nightmare."

"Thanks, man," Don said, getting up and walking over to the teen and taking his daughter from him. "Hey, cutie, you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"

Katie just whimpered, burying her face against her father's neck.

"Listen, why don't you guys go finish your movie then Noelle's going to take you home, all right, Sophia?"

"Oh, that's okay, Mr. Flack," Sophia replied with a bright smile. "The movie's almost over, so I called my dad and he's on his way to come pick me up. But thanks anyway!"


	75. Brokering World Peace

"His car just pulled in the driveway," Noelle announced quietly.

Don nodded, continuing to rub his daughter's back as she fought to keep her eyes open. "I guess I should go out and talk to him. It's the least I can do for Tony."

"You should take Katie with you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "I'm not using our daughter as a human shield."

She laughed softly. "He's not the one that carries a gun. I'm just saying, if she's there, you'll both be reminded that you're talking father to father, and not NYPD Detective to FDNY Commissioner with a history of bad blood between you."

"Although Katie probably has it in her to broker world peace, I think this time she's better off inside." He handed her to his wife, then took a deep breath and walked across the hallway to the entrance of the living room. "Sophia, your father's here. But I'm just gonna go out and talk to him for a few minutes before you leave."

A flash of momentary panic crossed Tony's face and Don almost laughed at his expression. He offered a reassuring nod to his stepson before heading out through the front door, just as Commissioner Ramirez stepped up onto the front porch. "Frank," Flack greeted, his tone neutral.

"Junior," Ramirez replied gruffly. He was a couple inches shorter than Don and about forty pounds heavier. What was left of his once black hair had grayed, a well-kept beard hiding his round face somewhat. He had obviously just come from work, still dressed in a dark suit, though his suit jacket and tie had been left in the car.

Don fought back the urge to roll his eyes at the condescension evident in the other man's voice even though he had uttered only a single word, or show his displeasure at being addressed as "Junior". Instead, he remembered his wife's suggestion that he take the high road and ignored the comment.

"It's quite the little family you've assembled for yourself. But you got in over your head when you took in the likes of that Alvarez boy."

Don was a good fifteen years younger than the man in front of him, but he felt no reverence or respect for the Commissioner. Just like at every scene they had worked together, the elder man's voice was laced with disdain and derision. It was hard to believe that the lovely girl inside Flack's house right now was a product of the arrogant jerk. It definitely said a lot about her mother.

Flack narrowed his eyes slightly. He had promised Noelle that he would not let his issues with Ramirez touch their family, but with every moment that passed, he was getting closer and closer to yelling "Screw it" and giving the FDNY Commissioner everything he deserved. But instead, he choked on his own contempt and said, "Tony's a good kid. We're lucky to have him. And for his sake and that of your daughter, I think we should let whatever's gone down on the job in the past stay there."

"That doesn't work for me. Had I known about this little dinner before your wife had already picked my daughter up from school, I would have put a stop to it," Frank countered. "There's no way the son of a prostitute and drug dealer will be spending time with my impressionable Sophia."

Not wanting to garner the attention of anyone inside the house, Don did not raise his voice, but his words still carried weight as he said, "Antonio's a stand up kid and my wife and I are proud to have him living under my roof. There is no way I am going to stand here and let you hold the mistakes of his mother against him. Hell, if that's the way this worked, your daughter wouldn't have been allowed to cross over threshold."

"You're still a snot-nosed punk, aren't ya, Junior?" Ramirez sneered. "Ya think you know everything. But you've had a teenager for, what, two weeks? You know nothing about being a father. If you did, ya would've thought twice before bringing a kid off the streets into the same house with an innocent two year old."

"You son-of-a-bitch. How dare you come to _my_ home and accuse me of being a bad father. You know, I came out here to make peace because it seemed like the right thing to do for Tony and Sophia. But I'm tellin' ya, if those kids weren't inside, I'd knock ya into next week." Don took a step forward, getting in his rival's face. Ramirez may have had age on him, but Flack had two or three inches and a lot of muscle on the other man. "Setting an example for my kids is more important to me than bein' right or wiping that smug expression off your face. But I promise you, if you _ever _bad mouth my stepson again, all bets are off and I will gladly risk the wrath of my wife just to take down you sorry ass."

"You're just like your old man. Though I doubt even he's very happy with your little arrangement here."

"What exactly did me or Pop ever do to piss you off so much?" Flack asked incredulously. "Is it because we refused to operate the way you and the likes of Stanton Gerrard and Brigham Sinclair do? You know what, I don't even care anymore. I'd rather be able to look at myself in the mirror and look my family in the eye than waste my breath tryin' to figure out how to earn your respect. So here's how this is gonna play out: Your daughter is more than welcome in my home. But if you have problems with _my_ kid, then it's up to you to break your own kid's heart."

Before anymore could be said, the front door opened and Sophia, oblivious to the conversation that had been taking place outside, came bounding out with a big smile on her face. "Hi, Daddy! I'm ready to go. Thanks, Mr. Flack, for dinner."

Don nodded, offering her a sincere smile. "Ah, it's my wife you gotta thank for that, kid. But I'm glad you had a good time. I hope to see ya around here again soon. Evening, Commissioner." And with that, he turned and walked inside.

Tony met Flack in the foyer, looking at him suspiciously. "What were you and Sophia's dad talkin' about out there?"

"We've got a bit of history on the job, so we were just comin' to a bit of an understanding," Don explained evasively, not wanting to disappoint the obviously hopeful boy. "So, how was everything? You and Sophia have a good time?"

"She's real cool," Tony replied with a smile that only a teenager on the verge of first love could possess.

Despite the argument he and the girl's father had just had, Don couldn't help but smile at his expression. He walked over and draped an arm around his shoulder, guiding him into the kitchen. "So, ya think you might want to have her over again sometime?"

"If it's okay."

Noelle, who was rocking Katie gently in one of the kitchen chairs, the toddler still fighting sleep, glanced up with a bemused grin. "It's fine with us. She's a lovely girl."

Tony nodded. "She likes to write, just like you, Noelle. Although she writes mostly poems and stuff."

"Ah, she's an artsy," Noli teased.

The boy blushed slightly as he sat down at the table. "She liked the Shakespeare stuff we studied this semester. You know how you helped me with my report on _As You Like It?_ Do you think you could maybe help me read _Romeo and Juliet_? It's her favourite play."

Don shook his head as he leaned against the counter.

Noelle glanced over at her husband, catching his unbelieving expression and trying to discern what had gone down outside, before she nodded at Tony. "Of course. It's one of my favourites, too. And you know, there's a production of _West Side Story_ playing at the community theatre next month. Maybe we should get tickets and check it out."

Flack cleared his throat, trying to warn Noelle off before she got the kid's hopes all up when there was a chance Sophia's father was in the midst of forbidding her from ever seeing him again. "Community theatre, doll? Why don't we look into what's playin' off Broadway this summer? Or maybe take in one of the Shakespeare in the Park productions," he suggested to buy some time.

"Sure. Yeah. Let me do some research, Tony. We'll figure something out." She looked down at her daughter who had finally succumbed to sleep. "Listen, do you mind taking Katie up and putting her to bed while Don and I clean up down here?"

"Yeah, no problem." He got up and took Katie from her mother. "Thanks again for dinner. And y'know, for letting me stay here. It's cool living with a real family."

"You know, Tony, we hope you don't just feel like you're living with a family, but like you're a real part of it," Don said seriously. "'Cause that's how we feel."

"Thanks, Flack. Well, I'm gonna go read after Katie goes to bed, so I'll see ya tomorrow."

Don watched the teen head up the stairs, then he walked over and sat down at the table next to his wife. "This could get very messy," he sighed.

She furrowed her brow. "I take it things didn't go well with Sophia's father?"

"I tried, doll. I did. But the jackass actually had the nerve to stand there and suggest that Tony's not good enough for his daughter. And I'm sorry, but I couldn't just let Ramirez badmouth him. So, I fought back."

Noelle exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Hey, you don't ever have to apologize for defending our children. I just don't get what this guy's problem is."

"I wish I could figure that out myself. Look, I don't know how this is going to go down. There's a real good chance Ramirez isn't gonna let Sophia hang out with Tony any more."

"What? Donnie, you saw him just now! He'll be devastated if that happens."

"I know. So as much as he might be better off not getting mixed up with that family, I'm not gonna stand back and let Franklin Ramirez' ridiculous attitude mess him up, either. So, we'll figure something out," Don promised.

"Who needs _Romeo and Juliet_ or _West Side Story_? We've got our own version playing itself out right here," Noli sighed.

"Except _our_ Tony ain't gonna end up dead at the end of Act Two."

She quirked an eyebrow then with a hint of a smile. "Don Flack knows his musicals?" she teased him.

"Christ. One day I'm gonna learn to stop givin' you ammunition. What's it gonna cost me to ensure that don't leave this house?"

She leaned over and kissed him gently. "Oh, you so can't afford me on your city salary, Detective."


	76. Crash Course

**A/N Fluff alert! Fluff alert! hahaha It's been a rough few days and so I needed to indulge in a little Flack love and some family fluffiness. You've been warned LOL**

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY ****XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY **

Don headed groggily down the stairs, desperately needing cup of coffee. His afternoon shift the day before had turned into a double after a brutal homicide in Hell's Kitchen, and it had been eight a.m. before he made it through the front door. Katie and Noelle had been reading together in the living room upon his arrival home, and he had kissed them both good morning before heading upstairs for a shower and some much needed sleep. He had laughed en route when he passed Tony's room and saw that the door was still closed. Now that school was out, he expected the boy would be trying to get away with sleeping until noon like he used to do.

"Where are the kids?" he asked as he lazily ambled into the kitchen and found his wife working on her laptop at the table.

"Uh, Jen and Erin came by about an hour ago to take Katie to that new Disney movie," she replied, not even glancing up from the computer screen. "And Tony headed out maybe fifteen minutes ago. Something about a pick up game over at the elementary school."

"So, he decided to quit sulking, huh?" Don commented.

Noelle saved her piece and gave her husband her attention then. "You'd be sulking, too, if the girl you liked was shipped off to her grandparents in Maine for the entire summer," she said a little bitterly. "I can't believe Sophia's father took it this far."

"Hey, I am certainly not defending Ramirez 'cause God knows I can't stand the jerk. But for all we know this was in the works long before last week. And honestly, doll, maybe it's for the best. You know, Tony's fourteen. By next week he'll be into some other girl. And if he's not, and they're still into each other when she comes home, well, then, they'll get to see each other at school and Ramirez won't be able to do a damn thing about it."

"You still don't think we should put him in school here, do you?"

Don walked over and turned on the coffee maker, then leaned against the counter in contemplation. "It's not that I'm against it. I just – That kid's been through so much change in the past couple months. His friends at that school are really the only constant he's had the last couple years. It's hard enough navigating your way through adolescence without having to worry about starting all over again at a new high school, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You are right about that."

He smirked. "It happens occasionally."

She rolled her eyes. "Hmm."

"We'll see how the summer goes. I mean, maybe by the Fall, he'll want to go to the school here. But if he doesn't, I don't think we should push the issue."

"You know, you're really good at this dad stuff."

He winked at her then fixed himself the cup of coffee he had been craving. "You want some, babe?"

"No, thanks, I'm good. I've just got to finish proofing this so I can send it off by four."

Don took a sip of his coffee, smiling at the look of intense concentration that crossed his wife's face as she returned to her work. "You mean you're just about done and we've got the house to ourselves?"

She bit her lip, trying to keep her mind on the page in front of her instead of her husband's insinuation. "Uh-huh. But I _do _have to finish this."

"So, finish." He walked over and brushed her hair off her neck, leaning down and kissing the spot behind her ear that drove her crazy. "I'll just wait here patiently."

She tried ignoring him, but suddenly the words on the page were melding into one another as his tongue found her ear. She cleared her throat and shook him off. "I'm, uh – I have a deadline, Donnie."

He stood up with a sigh, no mistaking her tone. "Right. So, I'll be in the living room then if you need me."

Ten minutes later, Don was on the couch flipping restlessly through the channels on the TV when Noelle appeared in the doorway to the living room. "Now who's sulking?" she teased him.

"Please," he scoffed. "I ain't sulking. I'm gettin' caught up on the scores from last night. I need to know how much Messer owes me when I see him tomorrow."

"Oh, then I don't want to bother you." She turned but had not even made it back to the kitchen before Don came up behind her and literally swept her off her feet. She shrieked in surprise but was soon giggling as he carried her on into the kitchen.

He set her down on the counter and moved in between her legs. "C'mere, doll," he beckoned as he cupped her face in his hands and his mouth eagerly captured hers in a kiss that by all rights should have set off the smoke detector.

She moaned as his hands left her face and moved through her hair. "God, you're good at that," she sighed, his lips moving down her neck and nipping at her collar bone.

He grinned a little smugly, but when another sigh escaped her lips, he remembered the task at hand and brought his mouth again to his wife's. His hands then snaked under her t-shirt and were soon unclasping her bra so he could feel bare skin beneath his fingers.

As he continued his ministrations, she could not even put together a coherent thought, let alone speak in any kind of complete sentence. So, instead, she kissed him languidly, pulling back only long enough to yank his t-shirt off and cast it aside before she met his lips again.

They were both half-naked and on their way to being in flagrante in the middle of their kitchen when Don finally muttered, "Upstairs," between kisses.

"Umm-hmm."

He chuckled softly at her unintelligible uttering. "Noli…"

She bit her lip, opening her eyes and looking at him then as he pulled away. She blushed a little when she noticed how dark his eyes were, his desire apparent. "Right, upstairs. Tony's been traumatized enough without coming in here and finding us having sex on the kitchen counter, huh?"

"Besides, last time you just about bruised your tailbone. C'mon." He lifted her down and took her hand, leading her up to their bedroom. After locking the door, he worked quickly to rid his wife of her clothes before removing the rest of his.

They made love slowly, enjoying their stolen afternoon hour. With the crazy shifts Don had been working the past few weeks coupled with all of the drama the household had seen, it seemed like it had been years since they had had a chance to connect like this instead of just a few days.

They were still basking in the afterglow, stealing kisses between moments of comfortable silence, when they both heard the front door shut downstairs. "Uh Flack? Noelle? I think I need some help!"

The couple looked at one another, both a little alarmed by the tone of Tony's voice.

Don jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on his jeans, working on getting a shirt over his head as he dashed out of the room and headed to the top of the stairs. "Jesus, Antonio. What the hell happened?"

The boy was standing at the base of the stairs, his t-shirt off and balled up over his face, evidently already soaked through with blood. "It won't stop," he explained, his forceful voice from moments ago now a little shaky.

Don ran down the stairs and slowly took the shirt away from Tony's face to assess the damage before quickly replacing it. "Okay, okay, I think it looks like your nose is broken. This happen playin' ball?"

"Yeah. This kid, Sonny, hit a line drive right back to the pitcher's mound. I didn't even see it coming, man. But I still caught it as I went down! It was the last out," he grinned.

Don laughed at the macho remark.

"Oh, my God!" Noelle exclaimed as she hit the top of the stairs and saw all of the blood for the first time. She high-tailed it down the steps, trying to keep herself from freaking out. "Tony, baby, are you all right?"

"I think his nose is broken," Don explained.

"Are you serious? Oh, sweetheart, are you in a lot of pain?" Noelle fussed over the boy. "Don, get him off his feet. I'll get some ice."

"Yeah, Tony, come sit down here for a sec and I'll get you a clean shirt while Noelle gets the ice. Then we'll take ya over to the ER and see about gettin' it set."

"Am I gonna have a scar or anything?" Tony asked hopefully.

Don ruffled the boy's hair with a chuckle as he sat him down on the steps. "More likely a bump or maybe it'll be crooked or somethin'. Just sit tight," he suggested as he headed upstairs to Tony's room to find a new shirt.

Meanwhile, Noelle returned with an ice pack and set it over the shirt that was still in place trying to stop the bleeding. "How are you feeling, honey? You're not dizzy or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm okay. Sonny and John asked me if I want to play on their team. They said I'm better than their regular pitcher and he's gone away to camp for the next month anyway. Pretty cool, huh? And Steve's uncle is a cop, just like Flack. Except I think he works in the Bronx and he has to wear a uniform."

Noelle shook her head a little incredulously as she sat down on the step next to him. Here, she was nearly losing it over his broken nose and was fighting to keep herself from telling him he could never play baseball again, while he thought it was the coolest thing that ever happened. Not only that, but he had managed to make some new friends in the neighbourhood and she could tell he was already itching to get back out to the sand lot. "You know, Danny used to be a pretty good ballplayer. He might've gone pro if it wasn't for a wrist injury."

"No way! Are you serious? Think he'd give me some pointers?"

She smiled. "I'm sure he would. You really feeling okay?"

He nodded a little, though he still kept the ice pack and t-shirt held tightly against his nose.

"Okay, man, let's get this on then we'll get ya to the hospital," said Don upon his return.

Four hours later, the trio walked back in through the front door. Tony's nose had been bandaged, and both eyes bore shiners, but he was already anxious to show the guys tomorrow down at the baseball diamond.

Jen, Erin and Katie were in the living room, the girls both colouring, awaiting their return. Katie jumped up when she heard the front door and ran out into the entryway. "Mommy! Daddy!" Her eyes widened then when she saw Tony and she stepped back.

"It's okay, kid. I just broke my nose," Tony explained.

"You wook scary!" the toddler exclaimed.

"I know it kinda looks scary, but it's still me," he assured her. He crouched down in front of her. "Here, see, still me."

Katie apprehensively took a step forward, her brow furrowed as if she was not quite convinced. She reached up and touched his cheek softly. "Still Tony?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Bu' you look funny. You better soon?"

"Yeah, couple weeks and I'll be good as new."

"Pwomise?"

"I promise. But 'til then, it kinda hurts to laugh, so you can't tell me any jokes, okay?"

"No laugh? Okay, I help."

"Okay. You want me to read you a story?"

She nodded excitedly then.

"Katie, why don't you go say goodnight to your Aunt Jen and Erin, then Tony can take you up and read you a story before you go to bed," Noelle suggested with an amused smile.

Tony took Katie's hand and led her back into the living room. He greeted Noelle's sister-in-law and niece with a slightly sheepish shrug, Erin was not frightened like Katie but more curious at his injuries. Meanwhile, he allowed the six months pregnant Jen to fuss over him a little before he took his stepsister upstairs.

"He really okay?" Jen asked once the Flack kids had disappeared.

"He'll be fine," Don assured her. "And now he's the hero of the local sandlot team. This is probably the best thing that could've happened to him."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "This is one of those guy things I'm never going to understand, isn't it?"

Don smirked. "Girls, broken bones…Welcome to the crash course in 'how to raise a teenage boy.' And just wait 'til he starts to drive, baby. This is just the beginning."

Noelle sighed. "God give me strength."


	77. Blood

Don walked out of the interrogation room with a wry grin on his face. There was nothing like ending a shift with a confession. And it was always entertaining to watch Lindsay at work, to see a suspect underestimate her and expect the petite woman to be sensitive and soft, then be caught off-guard when she became tough and hard and brilliant. Their most recent perp had definitely assumed she was going to take on the role of good cop, and he had found himself completely thrown as she tossed down picture after picture onto the steel table and then outlined each piece of evidence they had against him. And when he cracked, it had seemed to be with some embarrassment, that a chick cop had managed to get to him.

"You off?" Don asked her as they headed through the corridor and into the homicide squad's bullpen.

"No, I still have a few hours. But you must be due home right about now."

"Yep, and I've got a hot date." He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and pulled it on, a broad grin on his face. "Tony's gonna baby-sit tonight and I'm takin' Noli out. I don't even remember the last time we went out, just the two of us."

Lindsay sighed. "Don't even go there."

Flack looked at his friend sympathetically. "Hey, next time you and Messer have a night off together, bring the twins over and we'll keep 'em for the night."

"Careful, I might just take you up on that."

"I'm serious, Linds."

"You know, you say that now, but it'll probably end up being a night you're on nights or pulling a double, and poor Noelle will end up with a set of year-old twins, a toddler and a teen. Better take advantage of this date while you can," she teased him.

He chuckled softly.

"Say hi to Noli for me. Tell her I haven't forgotten that we have a shopping date."

He grabbed his keys and wallet from his desk drawer with a nod. "Will do."

"C'mon, I'll walk you out."

As they crossed the lobby, Lindsay entertaining Don with a story about Matteo getting into a box of Danny's old baseball cards and hiding them throughout the apartment, he noticed a man over at reception that looked somehow familiar. When he then overheard the man asking for him, he furrowed his brow and excused himself from his conversation with Lindsay. "I'm Don Flack. What can I do for you?"

The man turned around and appraised the detective. "Joseph Alvarez."

Lindsay instantly oticed Flack tense at the name. "You want me to stick around?" she asked him, laying a hand on his arm.

"No. it's okay. I'll talk to you later." He looked at her with a nod as if assuring her it was fine to leave and then watched her head off towards the bank of elevators before turning his attention back to the guest.

The man stood a couple inches shorter than him, with thick black hair and a meticulously groomed beard. He was well dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans that were obviously high-end, a button down white shirt and expensive looking leather boots. A Rolex watch adorned his left wrist, a diamond was set in the centre of a pinkie ring on his right hand. He did not appear to be someone living day-to-day and he was clearly not running from the law. That left Don feeling nothing but disdain for the man. "How long you been back in town?" he finally asked.

"I got in yesterday. I want to see my nephew," Joseph replied, his tone not leaving too much room for argument.

"Why?"

Alvarez narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean why? He's 'bout all the family I've got left. If I'd known about my mother…"

Don fought back the contempt that was building inside of him. "You woulda known if you'd bothered to check in every once and a while."

Joseph squared his stance, seeing that Don was not about to just back down, and letting him now that he would not either. "I've been working in South America. My mother had the number, but she must have misplaced it. So, Mr. Flack, I appreciate you taking care of Antonio, but he's my blood and his rightful place is with me. I'm sure my sister would agree."

"Your sister hasn't always acted in his best interest. And if Tony was really was a priority for you, he would not have spent the past six weeks living in my home."

"Listen, I don't want to make this difficult. But I have resources at my disposal and I am not afraid to use them."

"I'm assuming you're talking about a lawyer, because it would not be wise to threaten an officer of the law in the middle of police headquarters," Don warned him.

"Of course," Joseph replied with a hint of a sneer.

Don was not naïve, and he did not believe him for a second. His detective instincts were on high alert, and he made a mental note to do a bit more digging and find out exactly how Tony's uncle had come into the money he clearly wanted everyone to know that he had. "With all due respect, Mr. Alvarez, the way Tony tells it, he barely knows you. You think I'd be honouring the promise I made to your mother that he would be well taken care of if I just handed him over to a stranger?"

"I'm not a stranger. I'm his uncle."

"And me and my wife are his legal guardians. Now, I got no problem with you seein' Tony whenever you'd like. That's your right _and_ his. And if he tells me himself that he would rather live with you, I'll step aside. But until that happens, he's staying where he is." Flack pulled one of his cards out of his suit jacket along with a pen, not hiding the fact that his gun and shield hung on his belt as he did so. On the back of the card, he wrote down his and Noelle's address and their home phone number. "I'm off the next couple of days and we'll just be hangin' around the house. So, feel free to stop by and visit your nephew. But he's said on more than one occasion that he wants to stay with me and my wife, so don't expect him to have his bags packed."

Joseph's expression was defiant. "I'll be by to see Antonio in the morning."

"I'll let him know." Flack watched Alvarez walk away then, his fist clenching and his jaw tightening.

"What does he want?"

Don shook his head as Danny stepped up beside him. "Thinks Tony should come live with him," he explained.

"You obviously don't agree."

Flack turned to look at his best friend incredulously. "Tony's seen the guy maybe once or twice the past few years. He doesn't know him from Adam. And the day of his grandmother's funeral, he even asked if he could stay with us if his uncle came back. So, no, I don't agree. Besides, the guy just threatened me. Not exactly a great role model for that kid."

Danny furrowed his brow. "What do you mean he threatened you?"

"Tried to suggest he meant legal action But when he said he had resources he wasn't afraid to use, my gut was tellin' me he wasn't referring to some family law attorney he's got on retainer."

"You ever find anything odd when you were looking for him?" Messer asked.

"He doesn't have a record, but you and I both know that doesn't mean anything." Don sighed. "Look, I'm not just being selfish here. I mean, yeah, me and Noelle, we've come to love that kid and think of him as a part of the family. And I'm not gonna lie, I don't want him to go. But if I thought for a second he'd be better off, I wouldn't stand in the way of him being with his biological family. But I _don't_ think he'd be better off with that guy, Mess. C'mon. I've got five nephews. And I wouldn't have let any of 'em go through what Tony's been through the last few months without me bein' there."

"What'd he have to say about why he wasn't around?"

"Somethin' 'bout working in South America. He said his mother knew. But she never said anything to me, man, and the contact number Tony had was in Florida. The other leads I followed were all here in the States. Never heard anything about a job in South America."

"So, you're in the clear. You have legal papers, and even if ya didn't, the kid's old enough to tell a court where he wants to live."

"Doesn't mean this guy's just gonna back down. Christ, Noli's gonna flip. Things were finally settlin' down, and she – She loves him." He ran a hand through his hair. "He's made all these friends in the neighbourhood. You know, they've been hanging around the house, and they all think he's really cool. You remember what it's like to be fourteen and want to fit in so bad? He's got that. And he's really gotten into baseball and it's like he's finding himself. And Katie – God, Katie thinks Antonio walks on water. These last few weeks…I don't know how I got here, Dan, but a couple years ago I thought my life was okay. But that was before I knew what it was like to have a family. And it may be unconventional, but they're my family."

Danny nodded. "Look, go home to your wife and your kids. It's quiet around here tonight, so let me do some digging, see what I can find out. In the meantime, don't get ahead of yourselves, a'right?"

"When the hell did you become the sensible one?" Don questioned.

"I dunno. And I'm not sure I really like bein' on this side, so maybe it's time for me to do somethin' really stupid."

Don laughed openly.

Danny smirked, but then shrugged a little. "Seriously, c'mon, you've saved my ass more times than I can count. Even when I didn't like what ya had to say, you were always lookin' out for me. So it's only fair that I look out for you for a change. We talk about family and you say yours is unconventional? Yeah, well, you and Hansen, you're part of _my_ family. Linds would agree. And family takes care of their own."

"Thanks, man."

"Tell Hansen everything's gonna be okay, all right?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to ya tomorrow." Don nodded at him then headed on home, wondering how he was going to break this newest development to his wife, while hoping his best friend's words would prove themselves to be prophetic.


	78. Stay

"Wow, Noelle, you look hot!" Tony complimented his stepmother as she reached the landing at the base of the stairs.

Noelle was wearing a halter-style black dress that fell just below her knees; a dress that she was sure had not seen the light of day since before she and Don got married. She blushed a little at Antonio's praise, but could not deny that she was excited about the prospect of a night out with her husband and the opportunity to get all dressed up. "Thanks, Tony. Are you sure you're really okay with us leaving you alone with Katie all evening?"

The boy shrugged from his spot on the couch, his eyes back on the baseball video game he was playing on the Wii Flack had bought. "It's no big deal."

"She can be a bit of a handful, though," she continued a little warily.

Antonio paused his game and looked over at his stepsister, who was busily colouring at her play table and seemingly oblivious to being the topic of conversation. "Ah, we'll be fine."

"Okay. Just make sure you put your foot down if you have to. You know she'll try to bribe you for more than one story."

He nodded knowingly; however, he didn't really care. He liked reading with Katie. He used funny voices for the different characters which made her laugh, and hearing her giggle just egged him on all the more. He had always wanted a little brother or sister, but had given up a long time ago. So he felt lucky to have Katie for a stepsister. It really wasn't a chore to take care of her for a night. Plus, he really liked living with Don and Noelle, and he kept hoping that if he helped out enough, they would be more inclined to let him stay. The last thing he wanted was to cause them any trouble that would make them change their minds.

Noelle finished moving the necessities from her everyday purse to her clutch, then walked in and sat down on the armchair in the living room, looking at her watch with a furrow of her brow. "I wonder where Don is. He said to be ready by five thirty. It's almost six."

"He probably had to catch a bad guy," Tony suggested, a hint of pride and awe in his voice. His new friends all thought his stepfather was the coolest dad around because he was a big shot NYPD homicide detective, and he could not help but agree. Although he really wanted to play baseball when he grew up, he was starting to think that being a cop just like Flack would not be a bad option, either.

Noelle smiled at the admiration in the boy's tone. She was glad that he looked up to Don the way he did. He needed a strong and responsible male role model in his life, and her husband fit the bill perfectly. "I'm sure you're right," she agreed.

Katie finished with her picture and ran over to her mother then to show her. "You look pwetty, Mommy!" the toddler exclaimed, forgetting for a moment about the work of art in her little hands.

"Thank you, sweetie. Daddy is going to take me out for supper. You get to stay here and hang out with Tony, just the two of you. That sounds like fun, right?"

Katie nodded excitedly.

"And you're going to be a good girl for him, right?"

"I be good, I pwomise. We have ice cweam?" she asked.

Noelle could not refuse the request, her daughter's eyes wide and innocent. "Sure, you can have some ice cream. There's even some chocolate ice cream left in the freezer. But you have to let Tony dish it out for you and then you sit at the kitchen table while you eat it, okay?"

"I will. I will. And Wocco have ice cweam, too!"

"No ice cream for the mutt, kiddo," Tony cut in. "He'll get sick. Remember last time?"

"But Wocco will be sad," she pouted.

"Rocco has his own food, so he'll be just fine," Noelle assured her. "Tony, do you mind just letting him out in the back before you take Katie up to bed? Then he can just curl up in her room."

"No problem. Hey, do you think Flack will let me go running with him tomorrow morning? I should do some more cardio. It will help my game."

"I'm sure he will. I thought you were the pitcher, though."

"I am. But I still need to practice running bases 'cause if I ever get into the National League, I gotta do both. I need to work on sliding, too. Think maybe Mr. Messer can help me with that?" he asked hopefully.

"It doesn't hurt to ask. I'm sure he'd love to coach you a bit." His enthusiasm was contagious, and she was thrilled that he had found something he was so passionate about. She had met all of his friends, too, who seemed to like hanging around the Flack house. They all seemed like nice boys, and she and Don had even gotten friendly with the parents of a couple of them. She had started stocking extra soda pop and juice and could count on at least two or three of them showing up after they had spent a few hours playing ball at the elementary school just two blocks away.

Katie handed her mother her art work then. "This for you," she explained.

Noelle took the paper, studying the abstract picture, and having no idea what it was supposed to be. "It's very pretty, honey."

The toddler nodded in satisfaction, then walked over and climbed up on the couch next to Tony. "I pway too," she implored him, looking at the video game controller in his hands.

Tony looked to Noelle for permission. "Can I show her? Just the baseball one. I won't let her play any of the other games. But she's real smart. She'll probably be able to figure this one out."

"Sure, but just for another fifteen minutes then dinner will be ready. The timer's set to go off when the macaroni and cheese is finished baking in the oven. But after dinner, no more video games for the rest of the night – for both of you."

"I know."

She chuckled softly at the hint of whining in his response, but she knew he would obey the rules. She saw Don's car pull into the driveway then through the front window, and her excitement and anticipation for the night ahead returned. Don was definitely going to get lucky tonight after preparing this surprise for her.

Upon hearing the front door open, she got up and walked out into the entryway to greet her husband. "Hi, handsome. Thought you were never going to get here," she said, leaning up and kissing him gently.

Don responded, but she could feel the tension in his body as she laid her hands on his chest. "Yeah, sorry I'm late."

She looked at him curiously. "What's going on?"

"Tony down here? There's something I gotta talk to you both about," he replied.

She nodded.

He took her hand and squeezed it. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, but why do I have a feeling we're not going out to dinner anymore?"

"We can still go, but we need to do this first." He led her into the living room, unable to fight an amused grin, though, when he found his twenty-seven month old daughter kicking butt on the video game. "What's going on here?"

"I barely finished explaining the controls to her and she had already hit a home run!" Tony explained incredulously. "Sonny can't even get a single on this game."

Don shook his head with a laugh. "Listen, Antonio, we gotta talk about somethin'. Can you turn off the game for a minute?"

"Sure." He paused the game and shut off the TV, ruffling Katie's hair when she pouted at the interruption, then looked at his stepparents a little nervously. "Is there somethin' wrong?"

Don sat down on the armchair, pulling his wife down onto the arm and keeping his hand on hers. "No, but I had a visitor at the precinct today, buddy. Your uncle Joseph is back in town."

The room grew quiet, the only sound a long exhalation from Noelle, yet she did not say anything.

"Oh," Tony finally managed.

"He wants to see you, so he's gonna come by tomorrow morning," Don continued.

"Where was he?" the boy asked.

"Um, he said somethin' about working down in South America. I'm sure he's got lots of cool stories to tell you. He's real anxious for you guys to see each other."

Tony just nodded, looking anywhere but at Don and Noelle.

Noelle furrowed her eyebrows. "Tony, what's wrong, sweetheart?"

He just shrugged. "Am I gonna go live with him now?"

"Not if you don't want to, man. I mean, your uncle _did_ say he'd like you to come live with him, but it's your choice, pal." Don noticed Tony visibly relax and realized he had hit on the boy's concern.

"I think Don and I both agree that we would love for you to stay here with us if that's what you want to do," Noelle piped in.

"She's right, kid. But it's something we'll all have to talk about tomorrow."

Tony looked up and met their eyes then. "My uncle's cool and all, but I really like it here," he admitted.

Noelle smiled. "Well, then, you'll stay here." She looked at her husband, her smile fading a little when she saw that he still looked a little tense. There was obviously more to the story, but she had a feeling he did not want to say anymore in front of Tony. "Right?"

Don nodded with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Right."

Katie had been sitting there quietly taking in the conversation the big people were having, not completely understanding at first what was going on. However, she did comprehend some of the words and had figured out the essence of what they were talking about. She looked at Tony with tears brimming in her eyes. "You not go way, wight? I not want you go way."

"It's gonna be okay, kid, I promise," Tony assured her.

The timer went off in the kitchen, cutting into the tension that had invaded the living room.

"Dinner will be ready in about five minutes, so Tony why don't you take Katie upstairs and get yourselves washed up, all right?" Noli suggested.

"It smells good, doll," Don commented, trying to urge the kids on after neither of them moved from their spots on the couch.

Tony stood up then and lifted his stepsister down off the sofa, taking her hand and leading her off.

Noelle sighed as she rose and headed into the kitchen. As she shut off the timer and pulled the casserole dish out of the oven, Don joined her. "Tell me," she insisted.

"Said he's been in South America working and that his mother knew."

Noelle raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he said Tony's rightful place was with him since he's blood. But I gotta tell ya, babe, there's something about the guy that's rubbin' me the wrong way. He made some threats."

"I wanted to like this guy but you're really not painting a very nice picture here."

"I don't know. I got nothing but a gut instinct to go on. But you know something? All that matters is that if Tony wants to stay here, the court would have to listen to him if it got that far. I guess we just have to hope that his uncle will listen to him and not let things progress to that point," Don explained.

She took everything in. "I know it's not like with Katie. I mean, we knew all along that this could happen, that it probably _would_ sooner or later. And I had it in my head that if he was better off with his uncle, we should let him go. But he's…He's a part of this family now, Donnie. It feels like this is where he belongs."

"I know."

She bit her lip. "You, uh – You want some mac 'n' cheese?"

Don flashed his dimples. "I already called the restaurant and cancelled our reservation on the way home."

"Seven months into our marriage and I'm already that predictable?" Noelle quipped.

He walked over and wrapped her in his arms. "Doll, you are anything but predictable." He leaned down and captured her lips, kissing her deeply then. "I'll make tonight up to you, I promise."

"Honestly, as much as I was looking forward to our date, it's not a disappointment to stay home with the kids. I just – I know Tony says he wants to stay here, but who knows for sure what's gonna happen once he sees his uncle tomorrow."

"Nothing, if I've got anything to say about it," Don muttered in response.

They both heard footsteps coming down the stairs and let go of one another. Noelle got out some plates while Don headed to the drawer and got out the cutlery.

"Hey, you guys are staying?" Tony asked as he noticed four places were being set.

"Yeah, we decided we didn't really feel like heading all the way back into the city," Don replied. "Hope it's okay for us to crash your evening."

"Yeah, it's cool."

"Yay!" Katie exclaimed. "We all here!"

Don scooped his little girl up in his arms, tickling her ribs before setting her down in her booster eat. "You got it, cutie. And your mommy made your favourite."

"Mac'woni and cheese! And then we have ice cweam! And me and Daddy and Mommy and Tony wead stories and we pway after?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I'd say that sounds like a good plan there, sweetie." He winked at his wife as he took a seat at the table.

Noelle poured her kids each a glass of milk then took her own seat at the table. As Tony excitedly related to Don everything that had happened at his baseball practice, she became aware that she was a little overdressed for macaroni and cheese around the kitchen table. But she quickly realized that she didn't care, because as far as she was concerned, this was the best kind of supper. She just hoped it wasn't the last.


	79. Uncle Joseph

**A/N I am very sorry for the long lag in posting. Real life seems to be constantly finding ways to knock me down these days. But finally, I had some time to escape back into my happy little AU world. I'm off work on Monday, so hopefully I will be able to get the next chapter up by then. Enjoy!**

**XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI:NYCSI:NY XXX CSI: NY XXX CSI: NY XXX **

Noelle stood in the doorway to the living room and watched with amusement as her toddler easily hit a line drive on the baseball video game, Tony throwing up his hands with a sigh of defeat. He leaned down and ruffled the two and a half year old's hair, and jokingly accused her of cheating by only pretending to be a child. She giggled as he tickled her, but quickly regrouped in time to help her next batter hit a double.

"Mommy, I winning!" Katie announced excitedly.

Noelle choked back a laugh at the look on Tony's face, the expression that said, _This never leaves this room_. "I see that, sweetheart. Maybe Tony should take you over to the park later and show you how to hit a real line drive."

"No way, Noelle! She'll probably lob one over the back fence and I can't get shown up out there by my little sister. You kiddin' me? I'll never here the end of it from Sonny and John," Tony argued.

Noli just rolled her eyes. "You guys finish up this game, then it'll be about time for your uncle to get here, Tony. He said he would be by around eleven-thirty. There anything special you'd like me to make us all for lunch?"

"Ya got any of those perogie things in the freezer?"

She laughed . "As a matter of fact…You liked them, did you?"

Tony nodded. "I never had 'em before I came here."

"If you like those, I'll ask Dad to make some cabbage rolls next time we go there for dinner. We'll turn you into an honorary Ukrainian yet."

"Do you know how to speak Ukrainian, too?" he asked.

"I was able to get by while I was in Kiev, but having a translator nearby was still helpful. Katie, why don't you tell Tony what _you_ learned how to say, sweetie?"

Katie looked up from her game and right at Tony. "_Ya teb__e__ liubliu_," she professed.

Tony looked at his stepmother. "What'd she just say?"

"She said, 'I love you.'"

He smirked at the little girl. "Ah, I love ya, too, kid. Now, what d'ya say you give me a chance to redeem myself here and win a game?"

She just giggled.

Noelle headed into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee for their impending visitor. She opened the freezer and rifled through it, looking for the package of leftover perogies she knew she had packed away. She found them and pulled them out to thaw. She would fry them up and serve them with some ham and vegetables, and show Joseph Alvarez how well Tony was taken care of and how well he fit into the family. By the end of the visit, Tony's uncle would know that the boy was better off with the Flacks.

He had completely blossomed in the six weeks since he had been living with them. The scrawny kid Don had brought home that first day was a distant memory. In the midst of his growth spurt, he had shot up two inches already and with regular meals now and hours on the baseball field, he had grown quite lean and strong. He had asked Don to take him to get his hair cut, and Don had also taken him out shopping for some new clothes. Noelle had a feeling that when Sophia came back at the end of the summer, she wouldn't know what hit her. That was if some other girl had not completely fallen for him by then. His self-confidence had increased in leaps and bounds thanks to his new friends and the family of which he had become a part. He would be fifteen in three weeks, and Noelle had come to accept that the boy they had taken in was on his way to becoming a fine young man.

"Messer just sent an email. Things were quiet in the Lab last night so he had time to do a bit of digging. He didn't find anything on Tony's uncle," Don explained as he joined his wife in the kitchen, gratefully pouring himself a cup of freshly made coffee.

"Shouldn't you sound happy about that?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Guess I was hoping…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Noelle leaned up and kissed his cheek, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Tony wants to stay here. His uncle's going to have to offer something pretty amazing to convince him otherwise. And if he has something that great to offer, than maybe Tony really would be better off with him."

"I know you're right. Just doesn't make it any easier."

Rocco jumped up from his spot by the front window and started barking, alerting them all to the arrival of their visitor. Don took a deep breath, kissed his wife's temple, then walked out into the entry way and threw open the front door.

Joseph Alvarez stepped out of a Mercedes SL550 Roadster and Don scowled. There was nothing subtle about this guy. He set his car alarm then walked up the drive and up onto the front step. "Mr. Flack. I appreciate you honouring my request to see my nephew," he greeted cordially, yet coolly.

Don just nodded. "C'mon in. I'm sure Antonio's anxious to hear about your time away." _And why you couldn't be bothered to show up here when he needed you the most_, he wanted to add. As far as Flack was concerned, Alvarez had a lot of explaining to do before he would merit even a modicum of respect.

Inside the house, they found Noelle waiting in the entry way. "Hi. I'm Noelle Flack, Don's wife. You must be Tony's Uncle Joseph. It's nice to meet you," she greeted pleasantly.

Alvarez narrowed his eyes in recognition. "Noelle? Your maiden name wasn't _Hansen_, was it_?_" he asked a little incredulously.

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Wow, it really is a small world. I was on the basketball team with your brother Mark at Washington High. Well, I mean, until he got kicked off. But I heard he ended up at MIT?"

"Yes, and he graduated at the top of his class," she explained proudly. "He owns his own software development firm now. Married with one daughter and another baby on the way."

"Well, he always he could do anything with a computer. I'm surprised he wasn't recruited by the government in some capacity."

Don stood aside glowering. He had noticed Noelle flinch slightly at the off-hand comment about Mark being kicked off the basketball team. It meant Joseph knew about his past drug problem and was probably trying to figure out if he could use it to his advantage. However, the investigator in Don realized it opened up another area for him to dig around in. If he knew about Mark, maybe Mark knew something about him.

"Why don't you come on in and see Tony? Would you like a cup of coffee?" Noelle offered. "Or maybe something cold? Lemonade, a soda?"

"Actually a cup of coffee would be great. It's been a difficult few days, as I'm sure you can imagine," Alvarez replied.

"Sure. How do you take it?"

"Just black."

As Noelle disappeared into the kitchen, Don gestured for their guest to head into the living room. "Hey, Tony, your uncle's here," Flack announced as the two men wandered into the room.

Tony shut off his video game and set the controller on the table, taking Katie's from her as well, kissing her forehead when he saw her scowl. "You can beat me later, kiddo." The young man then stood up and looked at his uncle a little warily. "Hey."

"Wow, look at you, _miejo_. Come, give your uncle a hug, man," Joseph invited.

After a moment's hesitation which Don could not help but notice, Tony walked over and hugged his uncle. "Hi, _Tio Joseph_."

"How you doin', kid? I know it's been a long time." Joseph kissed the top of his nephew's head, then held him at arm's length so he could look him over. "You're growing up to be a fine looking young man. Your mama would be proud."

"Have you seen her?" Tony asked quietly.

"Not since I've been back in town, but soon, _miejo_. I know she'll be happy to hear that you and I have now been reunited." He ruffled the boy's hair, missing Don cringing a few feet away.

Noelle returned with a cup of coffee for their guest. "Here you go, Mr. Alvarez." As she handed him the mug, she noticed the tension in the room and tried to figure out what could be done to diffuse the situation. "Uh, listen, why don't we let you two catch up. C'mon, Katie, we'll go colour some pictures in the kitchen, all right?" She looked at her husband a little pointedly, noticing how tense his stance was. "Don…"

"Yeah, right."

"You two make yourselves comfortable. We'll just be in the other room if you need anything. Joseph, you'll join us for lunch, won't you?" Noelle invited.

"That's very kind. I would love to," Joseph accepted.

"Great, then we'll leave you two for a while to get reacquainted."

Inside the kitchen, she got her daughter settled in her booster seat with some paper and a package of crayons at the table, then turned to watch her husband practically wear a hole in the floor as he paced. "Donnie!" she hissed quietly. "Stop it. You're making me nervous."

"You got an old yearbook?" he asked in lieu of any kind of apology.

"From Washington High? C'mon. I don't know that guy. He and Mark were five years ahead of me. They'd graduated by the time I got there. Besides, it's been almost twenty years. Honey, I don't want Tony picking up on the tension between you guys. You have no proof that his uncle is into anything illegal."

"I have a gut feeling. My instincts have never failed me, doll – on or off the job."

She furrowed her brow, knowing that was true. Still, the last thing Tony needed was for there to be animosity between the adults in his life. "Well, until you have some proof to back up your instincts, we need to be careful. We alienate Tony and he's out the door."

"Daddy, Tony no leave, wight?" Katie asked, raising her head and looking at her father tearfully.

Don's gaze moved to his daughter guiltily then. He walked over and smoothed a hand over her auburn curls. "Nah, cutie, Tony's not leaving. Your old man's just in a bad mood. Why don't you draw a special picture for Tony, huh? And I'll help Mommy get lunch ready."

Katie nodded happily then, satisfied with Don's response as she returned to her art.

Half an hour later, Don not-too-reluctantly interrupted the reunion between Tony and his uncle and invited them into the dining room for lunch. Tony had been looking at his uncle with wide eyes when they had been disrupted, and Don was anxious to find out just what kind of stories their young charge was being told.

Flack wasted little time before he began to ask questions. As soon as dishes were being passed around the table, he looked across at Alvarez. "So, Joseph, what kind of work do you do?"

"I'm an art broker. Basically, if someone wants to get a hold of a rare painting or sculpture, I find it for them and broker the purchase. I spend a lot of time at auctions," Joseph explained.

"He's been living in Rio de Janeiro for the last couple months," Tony cut in, excitedly.

"Yeah, well, there are a lot of wealthy art collectors in South America."

"So, is your return to New York permanent?" Noelle inquired.

"No. There's still a lot of work available down in Brazil and Argentina, with a lot of side trips to Italy and France, London as well. I only came back because I found out about my mother, and because of Antonio here." He looked at his nephew sitting at the table next to him. "But I want you to return with me when I go back, Tony."

Tony's eyes widened. "To South America?"

"Yes, _miejo_." Joseph looked back over at Don and Noelle. "He will have opportunities he won't have otherwise. For travel, to see some of the richest, most historic and beautiful places the art world has to offer."

Don's brow furrowed. "And what about school?"

"There are very good private schools in Rio and Buenos Aires, I assure you. And I have the money to arrange for tutors when we are traveling."

"And baseball? I don't know if he told you because he can be pretty modest, but Tony has got the potential to be an all-American pitcher," Flack persisted.

"I'm sure you've looked at the Yankees' current line-up, Detective. They have baseball in South America," Alvarez replied, his voice dripping with condescension.

Don straightened in his chair as he noticed his stepson looking more and more excited about the prospect.

Joseph looked back at his nephew. "This is your decision, _mi querido sobrino_. And there's no rush. I don't have to be back in Rio until the beginning of August. And I will respect any decision you make. If you wish to stay here with the Flacks, I will not argue. But I would be very happy if you would agree to come with me. We're blood, _miejo_."

Under the table, Noelle reached for Don's hand. Despite saying earlier that if an incredible offer came along, maybe Tony would be better off, she had not believed such an opportunity would arise. Perhaps it had been denial, but she had not believed there would be anything that could make Tony change his mind about staying with them. But as she looked across the table at the boy she had grown to love, she could see that what his uncle was offering was enticing.

Flack squeezed his wife's hand then laid his hand comfortingly on her knee. "This is a big decision, something that's going to require a lot of discussion."

"I agree, Mr. Flack. I have no desire to disrupt Tony's life it if is not the best thing for him. But I think this could be very good for him." He looked at his nephew. _"Para nuestra familia._"

_And what about _my _family_, Don wanted to argue.


	80. Indecision

**A/N One of my shorter chapters, but somehow, it turned out to be one of my favourites. I hope you enjoy.**

XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY 

"Look, I'm sorry I can't really give you anything else," Mark apologized from his spot in the visitor's chair beside Flack's desk in the Homicide Squad's bullpen, his fingers drumming against the copy of the yearbook he had brought with him. "Coach had no choice but to kick me off the basketball team after I got busted. I'm honestly surprised I lasted as long as I did considering I was high most of that year. So, I barely even remember this Alvarez guy."

Don nodded, sitting back in his chair with a sigh.

"How serious is Tony about going with him?" Mark asked.

"What kid wouldn't jump at the chance to live in an exotic place like Brazil or Argentina and travel the world?" Flack replied, disheartened.

"What is it about his uncle that makes you distrust him so much? I mean, you never found anything when you were looking for him, right?"

"No. I just – I got this feeling. I can't shake it. It's either my detective instincts on high alert or –"

"Or a stepfather who doesn't want to let his kid go?" Mark finished sympathetically.

The look on Don's face told his brother-in-law that he was not necessarily wrong.

"Listen, man, we all love Tony and it'll kill us to watch him leave. But this could be a great opportunity for him. And it's not like Joseph's some stranger. He's his blood, man."

"In some circumstances, I wouldn't argue with you there. But if Katie had been through what Tony had, would you have left her to deal with it alone?"

"No. And I'm definitely not absolving Joseph for pulling the disappearing act. You're right, I never woulda let Katie be in that position. But you know, maybe this is his way of making up for it. After Tony's mom went to jail, his grandmother stepped in and Joseph really didn't have to take any responsibility. We both know what it's like to be single and makin' your way in the world. Maybe it just took him a while to get the stonesto step up. But whatever, the bottom line? Tony shouldn't be punished for the sins of his uncle."

"I love that kid, Mark, and I don't want to let him go. But I know I can't let my own selfishness get in the way of some incredible opportunity. But I can't stand back and let him get hurt, either. It's my responsibility to look out for him and guide him towards making a decision that's going to be the best thing for him."

"Well, then, it's also _my_ responsibility as his step-uncle or whatever the hell my title is to make sure this Alvarez guy is on the up-and-up. I'll head back to the office and see what I can do."

Don smirked, grateful once again for Mark's computer skills. "Thanks, man."

"I'll let ya know what I find out. In the meantime, we got some time, right? I mean, you said Joseph doesn't have to be back in Rio until August, so we've got almost three weeks."

Flack nodded. "Of course, that's three weeks for Alvarez to work him and just get him more excited about South America. They're spending the day together today. God knows what that boy's gonna be thinking by the time his uncle drops him off tonight."

"I, uh – I'll make this top priority, all right?" Mark said, standing up and clapping his brother-in-law on the shoulder.

"Thanks a lot, Mark."

"You know, my sister went through a pretty dark period where she thought she would never have a family. You know I'll do whatever I can for the one that she's found. I'll call you later."

The brothers-in-law shook hands, then Don watched Mark walk off. He had no more than a couple minutes to reflect on everything that was going on before he got called out to the Bronx to investigate the city's newest homicide. With a sigh, he stood and pulled on his suit jacket, not sure whether to hope Noelle's brother was successful in his search or not.

Wanting to make the most of the time they had in the event that Tony decided to go with his uncle, Don took advantage of having the next day off and took Tony and Katie to Central Park to meet up with Danny and the twins while Noelle worked to meet a deadline. Tony reveled in having someone who had nearly made it to the Majors give him pointers, as Danny showed him how to increase the speed of his fastball and add more bend to his curve. Nearby, Don gently kicked a soccer ball around with Katie, while Matteo and Olivia chased them around on clumsy feet.

Lindsay arrived once she had finished her shift. Noelle joined them all shortly thereafter after submitting her newest piece, a picnic dinner in tow for the group. Lindsay fed the twins and Noelle laughed at Katie's rambling while Don, Danny and Tony discussed the Mets' poor performance this season and the Yankees' shot at taking the AL East.

"You know, buddy, you got quite an arm on you," Danny praised the boy during a break in conversation. "Ya just got to watch the thrust on your fastball. You don't want to throw out your arm before you hit senior year, ya know what I'm sayin'?"

Tony nodded, grateful for the advice. "Thanks, Danny. I really appreciate you takin' the time to help me out."

"My pleasure, man. You know, you should try out for the school team in the fall. You really got potential. And if you go all-American, that's when you'll get exposure with the scouts."

Tony's eyes widened. "You really think I have what it takes?"

Danny shrugged. "It's a long road, man. But you've got the raw talent and skills, and you've definitely got heart. You just need to keep practicing."

"Ya hear that, Flack? I could maybe get scouted one day!" the teenager exclaimed excitedly as he looked at his stepfather, sitting next to him on the picnic table.

Flack smiled proudly. "Yeah, I heard. I told ya. You're really good. But Dan's right, ya gotta keep practicing. It takes a lot of work to go pro, and not more than just a little luck."

The teen bit his lip. "What if I go with Uncle Joseph? Will that hurt my chances?"

Noelle glanced up and Don and Danny looked at one another.

"Uh, y'know, man, we'll have to check out the private school your uncle talked about. See if there's a baseball program there," Don finally said, not wanting his own selfish desire for Tony to stay to dissuade the kid.

Later that evening as Noelle was tucking Katie in, Don walked by Tony's room and noticed his door ajar, the boy stretched out on his bed reading one of his comic books. Flack rapped lightly on the door. "Mind if I come in?" he requested.

"Sure, Flack. What's up?" Tony set the book aside and sat up.

Don took a breath as he took a few steps into the room. "I, uh – We haven't really talked the last couple days. Just wanted to see how you were doin'. I know you've had a lot to think about."

Tony furrowed his brow. "Can I tell ya something?"

"Of course, man. You know you can tell me anything," Flack assured him as he took a seat at the end of the bed.

"Part of me really wants to go to South America," the boy confessed.

Don nodded, hiding the fact that his heart was breaking.

"I just, uh – I kinda wish it was with you, Noelle and Katie."

Don smiled sadly then. "I hear ya. But listen, I'm not gonna lie to you. It's a great opportunity. And maybe it'll give you and your uncle a real chance to get to know each other. You're family, right?"

"But you guys are my family, too."

Don's grin broadened at the observation. 'Yeah, man, we are. And that's why we'll support whatever decision you make. And no matter what, we'll still be your family and that means that you always have a place and a home here."

Tony took a breath, his brow furrowing again.

"Hey, Antonio? No matter what, okay?" He reached over and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll miss ya like crazy if you decide to go, and we don't _want_ you to go. But we don't ever want you to miss out on something that could be great just 'cause we love you."

"Thanks."

Don stood, ruffled the boy's hair, and then headed out into the hall. He ran into Noelle who was just closing Katie's door after putting her down. He reached for his wife and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head as he just drew on the warmth of her embrace.

"Hey," she said quietly. "What is it?"

"I think he's gonna go," he confessed against her hair, the weight of the words filling the expanse of the hallway.


	81. The Art of Art

**XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX **

"Noli?"

"Kitchen!" she called out in response to her husband's inquiry, barely having registered the sound of the front door opening and closing.

A moment later, Don walked into the room to find his wife at the table, her eyes narrowed as she read from a web page up on the browser on her laptop. "I saw Katie across the street playin' with Chelsea. Where's Tony?"

"He took Rocco out for a run. He should be back soon," Noelle replied, not bothering to glance up from her computer.

Flack walked over and looked over her shoulder, curious as to what had her so riveted. "_Et tu, Bruté_?"

She looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "Perhaps the three most popular words in literature and you use them against your own wife?" she kidded.

"Yeah, well, I've never seen you checking out art before. Don't tell me you're being seduced by Mr. Worldly Art Broker, too," he scoffed.

"Seduced? The only man allowed to seduce me is standing right in front of me. Although, he hasn't done much of it lately," she muttered.

"Hey, I'd be happy to throw ya over my shoulder, take ya upstairs and do things to you that'll make you forget your own name."

Noelle actually blushed at the suggestion, and then with a chuckle she closed her laptop and rose from her seat at the table. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He smirked, leaning down and kissing her. "Hey there."

She reached up and ran a finger down his cheek, noticing how weary he looked. "I don't like waking up without you, especially when you're supposed to be off-duty. So, were you called back in vain or did you get what you needed in your interrogation?"

"We broke the case. But I still – You know, not that it didn't disturb me before Katie and Antonio, but – I just don't get how a parent can hurt their child. Sometimes I just don't get how this world's even gotten so screwed up." He ran a hand over his face. "I feel like I just wanna sleep for three days. Although every time I close my eyes now during the day, I'm reminded that it's time I'm gonna miss with Tony."

"We don't know for sure –"

"He's goin', Noli. C'mon, he's half-way out the door already. He's almost fifteen. He doesn't see a guy comin' in and tryin' to bribe his way back into his life. All he sees is the chance to go to some far off places he's only ever read about and live in freakin' Rio de Janeiro. We can't give him that. We can't compete with a cool, jet-setting uncle who's offering him the world."

She sighed, her husband vocalizing everything that she had been thinking for the past few days.

"So, what exactly were you looking at anyway?"

"I was doing some research. There's an exhibit at the Met on Impressionism, so I was thinking about taking Tony; you know, show him we support this whole thing if he _does_ decide to go."

"That's a good idea, babe. You thinkin' 'bout goin' today?"

She nodded. "We can take Katie with us if you really want to sleep for a while."

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just lay down when she has her nap. Tony'll get more out of it if she's not askin' questions in front of each painting."

Noelle laughed softly, knowing that he was right. "So, I was doing some reading on Joseph's profession, as well. There's a lot of money to be made as an art broker if you know what you're doing."

"And I guess he does 'cause I can't find anything on this guy that suggests he's into anything other than what he says."

"I guess we both need to accept that his intentions might actually be honourable here. You know, he may have let Tony down before, but maybe this is his attempt to make things right."

Don nodded, resignation starting to creep into his entire being. He brushed a few stray locks that had escaped from Noelle's ponytail off of her face, his hand lingering against her cheek as he leaned down and kissed her gently. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. "I know I've been a jerk. I just don't do well with things that are out of my hands. But I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just remember that you can talk to me." She leaned up and kissed him languidly. "Or feel free to seduce me if that'll help."

"Yeah?"

They were making out in the middle of the kitchen when the front door opened. They sprang apart, both laughing slightly at one of the many joys of having kids. A moment later, Tony walked in with Katie in his arms, the little girl crying softly, Rocco at their heels.

"Mrs. Waters was just about to bring her back. She scraped her knee," the teen explained, setting Katie down.

Don crouched down in front of his daughter. "Ah, you hurt your knee, huh? It's okay, cutie. We'll get ya all fixed up."

Katie sniffled back her tears. "No. Mommy fix," she whimpered.

"You know, Daddy's pretty good at patchin' up scraped knees."

The little girl's face scrunched up as a new set of tears started to fall and she shook her head vehemently. "Mommy!"

Noelle moved past Don and scooped her daughter up into her arms. "Honey, it's all right. Mommy's going to make it all better." She flashed her husband a sympathetic glance then carried Katie on upstairs to tend to her scrape.

Don shook his head. "I guess it was always my mother, too, who fixed skinned knees and banged elbows." He walked over to the fridge and retrieved a couple bottles of water, handing one to Tony while he opened the other, then gestured for the boy to join him at the table.

Tony took a sip of his water then sat back in his chair with a furrowed brow. "You know, it sounds bad, but even before my ma got arrested, she was never around. I don't really remember her ever fixing scrapes and bruises. You and Noelle are really the closest thing I've ever had to a real kind of mom and dad."

Don was touched more than he could say by the sentiment, although it also tore at him a little. The fact was, with each passing day, it was becoming more natural to think of Tony as his son and that just made the entire situation they were facing that much more difficult.

"Is Katie gonna be okay?"

"It's just a little scrape, buddy. She'll be fine."

"Nah, I mean – If I go, will she be all right?" he asked, genuinely concerned about the impact his absence would have on the little girl he had grown so attached to.

Don saw it as the perfect opportunity to convince him to stay – by using guilt. However, he knew it was selfish. He knew that his job as a parent was to do whatever he could to make the adjustment as easy as he could, for _both_ of the kids, if the circumstance arose. "Listen, Tony, she's not quite two and a half. I won't lie to you, she's gonna be confused and sad if you go. But we'll help her draw pictures for you and write letters, and you can write to her and call. Little kids are pretty resilient. And it's not like you're dropping out of our lives."

Tony sighed. "This whole thing kinda sucks."

Don could not help the chuckle that escaped. "Trust me, man, there are worse decisions you'll be faced with in your life. But I know it's tough. Just remember that whatever you decide, Noli and I will do whatever we can to help you _and _Katie, all right? But I don't want you to worrying about us _or_ your uncle, or about hurtin' anyone's feelings or anything like that, okay? All we care about is that you're happy, even if it means that you're movin' away."

A contemplative silence fell between the two guys, broken only a couple of minutes later when Noelle returned with Katie. "All fixed," she announced.

The toddler now had a Minnie Mouse band aid across her knee to match the denim shorts with an embroidered Minnie on the leg. However, she was not impressed. As soon as Noli set her down, she ran straight to her father and wrapped her arms around his leg, a scowl prominent on her little face. "Mommy make ouchie!" she complained.

Don glanced up at his wife with a quirked eyebrow as he pulled his daughter onto his lap.

"Antiseptic spray," she explained.

"Ah. Just give it a few minutes, cutie and it'll feel better. I promise. You want to come up and have a nap with me?"

She hugged him tightly, nodding against the crook of his neck, her fickle opinion on who the favourite parent was having obviously changed for the moment.

"All right. Let's go get some shut-eye." He got up with his daughter in his arms, kissed his wife's cheek, then headed upstairs for some much needed rest.

"You want to take a field trip?" Noelle asked Tony once they were alone.

"Sure. Where we headed?"

"The Metropolitan Museum? There's a special exhibit right now on Impressionist art. It might give you a better understanding of what your uncle deals in," she explained.

The boy nodded eagerly.

"Cool. All right, then go grab yourself a shower then we'll head into the city."

For a few hours, Tony and Noelle wandered through the museum that she had not stepped foot in since she was a kid and he had never visited before. They went from room to room, looking at the various paintings, sculptures and other works of art. On more than one occasion, Noelle got a good laugh at the expressions on Tony's face, and the few times he uttered, "Uh, I just don't get it." She had to admit, her love of the arts was directed more towards literature and music so she was probably not the best person to hand down an appreciation of fine visual arts. However, she reveled in the fact that they bonded more over their mutual confusion than any mutual adoration. And he was certainly more than amused when she responded to his muttering with, "Yeah, I don't really get it either."

"I kinda liked that water flower thing by that Monet dude," Tony admitted on the train ride back to Queens. "It looked like one of Katie's pictures."

Nicole laughed out loud at the comparison. "The _Water Lilies_? I'm sure that Monet dude would really appreciate that," she teased him.

Tony grinned. "Thanks, Noelle, for takin' me, even if I don't really get all that stuff."

"My pleasure."

"I hope if Uncle Joseph and me go to Paris we can go check out the Notre Dame Cathedral, even if we have to go to the Louvre, too. I loved _The Hunchback_."

Her heart sank a little, his statement suggesting that he had made up his mind to go. "It's a good book," she agreed softly. "I, uh – I'm sure you'll get to see all sorts of interesting places."

**XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX **

The buzzing of his cell phone roused Don. Taking a moment to get his bearings, he smiled when he saw his little girl curled up on the other side of the bed, her thumb in her mouth, then he quickly grabbed for his phone on the night table to keep from waking her up. "Yeah, Flack," he answered quietly, not even glancing at the call display.

"Hey, Don. It's Mark."

"Mark, hi. Just a sec…" He got up and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. "Sorry, Katie's just takin' a nap and I didn't want to wake her up. What's up?"

"Can you swing by the office tomorrow? I think I might have some info for you."


	82. Cash

"Tell me you got somethin' good, man," Don pleaded as he walked into Mark's office. "Like, he's in with some drug lord in Colombia or he's runnin' some prostitution ring on the side in Rio. He cheated on his income tax last year..."

Mark chuckled. "I don't think I've ever known anyone to hope so hard that someone's guilty of something."

"Yeah, well, Tony's on his way out the door and I got nothin' else goin' for me here, so…"

"Well, I'm not a hundred percent sure I can help."

"But you have some info?" Don reminded him as he took a seat in one of the two chairs across the large mahogany desk.

"I'm the hacker, I just gather the intel. You're the detective, so you get to figure out exactly what it means," Mark explained. He leaned across the desk and handed his brother-in-law a folder. "There's a series of cash deposits along with the expected electronic fund transfers. Now, I don't know much about the art world. Maybe brokers get paid in cash. But that's a hell of a lot of cash to be payin' someone to score you a piece of art."

Don furrowed his brow, opening the folder and looking over the spreadsheets Mark had created. "Jesus. No wonder this guy's drivin' a Mercedes SL550."

"Isn't that like a hundred thousand dollar car?"

"Starts at ninety-seven G's," Don grumbled. "I checked."

"Look, I'll keep digging, but I'm not sure there's really anyway for me to track the _source_ of theses cash infusions. I mean, if I had even a hint of where it was coming from, I could confirm withdrawals to deposits, but without anything to go on…"

"It's okay. If this is all we have – It's not enough to keep Tony from gettin' on that plane in two weeks."

"It's suspicious, though, right? I mean, those are ridiculously large amounts of dough."

"You know what a Monet or a Degas goes for these days? It's ridiculous what people are willing to pay for a painting that would look no better in my living room than somethin' my two year old could do."

"Yeah, but my niece is a genius," Mark kidded.

Don smiled at that, but then sat back in the chair with a sigh. "You know, it doesn't matter if we find this suspicious. Unless we got solid proof of something…Unfortunately, this just shows us that Alvarez has money. That much I knew 'cause he keeps throwin' it around."

"Then I'll just keep on looking. If you've still got a gut feeling…"

Don felt his phone vibrate against his hip and sighed. "Listen, I appreciate everything you've done, but I think it's time for me to start accepting that Tony's leaving for South America in two weeks," he said, glancing at the text message he had received. He furrowed his brow and stood up. "I gotta get goin'. Duty calls. Oh, you guys free a week from Saturday? Noli wants to have a barbecue for Tony's birthday. Kind of a going away party, too."

"We'll be there, no question," Mark assured him. "You let Mom and Dad know yet?"

"Your sister was going to call today."

"All right. Let us know if you need us to bring anything."

Don nodded and offered a wave as he headed out, off to the scene of New York City's latest homicide.

**XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX **

"Danny, stop," Lindsay argued unconvincingly as her husband's lips made their way down her neck and nipped at her pulse point.

"Say it like ya mean it, Montana," he smirked, capturing her mouth with his own before she could actually protest any further.

Lindsay gave in and responded, letting Danny roll her underneath him in their bed. "Oh, God…" she sighed as they came up for air and he worked to rid her of the old t-shirt of his that she had worn to bed.

They made love languidly, taking advantage of having the apartment to themselves and for both, a day off. Afterwards, Lindsay curled up in her husband's arms, her hands fidgeting with his dog tags.

"What's goin' on that beautiful head 'a yours?" Messer asked, his fingers playing with her silky hair, once again down to her shoulders, and now wavy and tousled from their lovemaking.

"We should tell everyone soon."

"Yeah, we will. I just – Ya know, Flack and Hansen are about to lose one of their kids. It doesn't seem fair to tell 'em we're expecting another one of our own right now."

Lindsay nodded, her hair tickling his chest. "I know. I'm just not sure I'm going to be able to hide this much longer. Noelle was lookin' at me funny the other day in the park."

"That's 'cause you were eating chocolate ice cream and Doritos. _At the same time_," Danny muttered. "You get the weirdest cravings when you're pregnant, Linds. I'm just glad it ain't jalapenos and maple syrup this time around."

She playfully slapped him in the arm, then slipped out of bed. "Don't go making fun of my cravings, Messer. It's _your_ fault I'm in this situation in the first place." She pulled on her robe and ran a hand through her tangled hair.

Danny sat up and leaned back against he headboard. "Look, babe, I know we didn't plan this. But it's a good thing."

"Matt and Liv are fourteen months. What were we thinking being so careless?"

He fought back a smug grin, knowing exactly how and when the new addition growing inside of his wife had been conceived. If Don had stopped playing pool at their place after realizing where Danny and Lindsay had first consummated their relationship, he might want to think twice about showering in the men's locker room at the gym in headquarters. "Linds, it's a good thing."

"I know. And don't think I'm not happy. I _am_. I just – This took me by surprise. And _you're_ not the one who has to go back on desk-duty. I just know Mac's gonna take a hard line this time." She walked back over and sat down on the edge of the bed and faced him. "But you know what, you are right. We should wait until Don and Noelle get through this thing with Tony before we say anything. I just really wish we could do something for them."

"I ran every kinda search I could think of, Montana. Nothin' came up on Alvarez. I don't know what else would stop this from happening."

"Well, no one can argue that it's a wonderful opportunity for Antonio. I just wish that his leaving wasn't going to hurt our best friends so bad. And Katie. God, that little girl adores him. She's not going to understand any of this. All she's going to know is that he boy she thought hung the moon left her."

"We'll all help her. I mean, she loves playin' with the twins, right? So, we make an effort to get the three of 'em together and distract her. And come on. It's not like the kid's droppin' off the ends of the earth. Between cell phones and the internet and Skype and all that stuff, they'll be able to talk to him everyday. And you said it, it's a great opportunity. Though his uncle better make sure he follows through with the baseball. That kid's got the potential to go all the way. It would be a crime to let that talent go to waste"

Lindsay reached out and took her husband's hand. "You sound…nostalgic, or wistful when you say that. You ever wonder?"

"What, about a baseball career?" He shrugged. "It's hard to be sorry for somethin' that never happened when I got a hot wife, two kids and another on the way that I already love more than anything." He took his free hand and laid it across her abdomen, still showing no signs yet of the new life they had created. "You know nothin' when you're eighteen. You think you've got it all figured out, that you know what ya want and what's gonna make ya happy. If the kid I was back then could see me now, he wouldn't recognize me."

"I think that's probably true for most of us." Lindsay moved back into his arms and kissed him gently. "I'm just glad this is where we both ended up."

They were both dozing a short while later when the phone rang. Danny sighed and opened his eyes. Noticing the deep rise and fall of his wife's chest that suggested she had not yet been awakened, he quickly reached over her and grabbed the cordless handset from her bedside table. "Yeah, hello?" he answered quietly, sliding out from beneath the sheets and headed out into the living room.

"Hi, Danny. It's Noelle. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she apologized.

"Nah, no, it's fine. Linds and I somehow managed to get a day off together and Ma took the twins so we were just chillin'. What, uh – What's up?"

"I was wondering if there was any chance you guys were free a week from Saturday? In the afternoon? It's Tony's birthday so we were thinking of having a big barbecue. You know, family, friends. It'll probably be the last chance for most people to see him, too, before he heads off," Noelle explained quietly.

Danny walked into the kitchen and glanced at the calendar. "Um, I'm off and Montana's workin' day shift, so yeah, count us in. How're you guys doin', anyway? You need anything?'

"I appreciate the offer, Dan, but at this point, all Don and I can do is make the most of the next couple weeks. Tony's made up his mind to go and as much as we don't want him to, it's going to be a great experience for him."

"'k, well, you guys just give us a call if there's anything we can do, got it?"

"Thanks. Oh, listen, is Lindsay all right? She seemed a little dragged out the other day at the park, and she's cancelled our shopping day a couple times," Noelle observed.

"Ah, she's fine. Just workin' too much, but you try tellin' her to lay off."

Noelle laughed softly. "Right. Well, I'll let you go and enjoy your day together. Trust me, I know how rare they are. Talk to you soon."

"Will do. Bye." Danny hung up the handset and set it down on the kitchen counter with a sigh. He pulled the calendar off the fridge and found a pen, writing in big letters, BBQ/TONY'S B-DAY in the square ten days away. An idea hitting him then, he headed down the hall to the den, wondering if his old baseball glove was still in the closet.

**XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX **

Noelle hung up the phone, having made the second last call for the barbecue. Now they just had to pray for good weather, because if everyone they had invited showed up, there really was not going to room inside the house. It had probably been since the wedding that they had had all their family in friends in once place, so she was actually looking forward to it. She just wished that they were only celebrating Tony's birthday and not also saying goodbye.

She picked the handset back up and hesitated before dialing the last number on the list. Don had said he would handle this one, but she felt that his suspicion and animosity was getting more and more difficult to hide, so she had practically insisted. She took a deep breath, then dialed the number on the card she had sitting on the counter.

"Hello?"

"Joseph, it's Noelle Flack."

"Noelle, hello. I hope nothing's wrong with Antonio," his uncle replied.

"No, no, Tony's fine. But he's the reason I'm calling. As you know his birthday is next Saturday, and we're planning on having a barbecue. Don's family, my family, some friends. Of course, we want you to attend," she invited, hoping she sounded sincere. The fact is, she knew that the more they got along, the better it was for Tony. But at the same time, like Don, she could not help but resent the man a little for taking her stepson away, even if it was to give him the opportunity of a lifetime.

"That sounds great. I would love to be there. And I appreciate you doing this for my nephew. He has been lucky to have you and your husband these last couple months. He speaks so highly of you both."

"Well, we think very highly of him as well. He's a wonderful kid."

"Yes, he is. Thank you for the invitation. I'm sure we'll be in touch before then, but again, thanks. I'll talk to you soon."

"Sure. Goodbye." With a long exhalation, she disconnected the call. _Maybe there's still a chance_, she thought to herself.

**XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX CSI:NY XXX **

Joseph hung up his cell phone and toss it onto the large king-sized bed in his hotel suite, then returned to the task in which he had been involved before he was interrupted by the call. He took one last look at the painting, then turned it over onto the roll of heavy, brown paper. He reached for the scissors and packing tape and expertly wrapped up the priceless piece of art. Tony had emailed and told him about his visit to the Met, and ironically, that he had liked Monet's _Water Lilies_. It was a piece from the same series that would be traveling with them to Rio. A nearly priceless work of art. Maybe this time, his purchase would end up hanging in his own home. But that mattered little to him. It was simply a means to an end, a way to continue to support himself -- and now his sister's son.


	83. Learning from the Past

Don stood by the barbecue, not paying any attention to the burgers on the grill or the family members and NYPD colleagues and friends scattered throughout the yard. Instead, he was glowering as he watched Tony and his uncle kicking around a soccer ball along with Don's sister and brother-in-law, and a couple of Tony's friends. The teen was sporting a bright yellow and green team Brasil jersey, just one of the presents Joseph had insisted the boy open after his fashionably late arrival. Then came the top-of-the-line notebook computer, accompanied by all of necessary accessories, including a web-cam and a state-of-the-art colour laser printer. "So you can keep in touch," Joseph had explained as Tony opened the gifts with wide eyes. The digital camera Don and Noelle had given him earlier in the morning – after days of worrying that it may be too excessive for a birthday present – now seemed like an inferior offering, especially after Mark detailed to Flack how much he estimated the computer set-up had cost.

And the knot in Don's gut had only intensified, despite the fact that he, Danny and Mark had all failed to uncover any proof of wrongdoing on Alvarez' part. He was finally resigning himself to the realization that what he was feeling was jealousy over what this guy was capable of giving Tony, and now the simple pain of missing his stepson already.

"What is it that Ma used to say? If you don't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" Don's brother kidded as he stepped up next to him.

Don gave a low chuckle and gladly accepted the beer Will was holding out for him. "That's why I'm just standin' here, and keepin' my mouth shut."

"You know, Eric and Andrew would think we pretty lousy uncles if they'd been here to see what Joseph gave Tony."

"Maybe. But we wouldn't have lived long enough to care 'cause Ellie woulda killed us if we ever spoiled her kids like that."

"We'd have to freakin' mortgage our houses to _afford_ to spoil any of our kids like that. He must've dropped like two grand on that printer alone – which is pointless 'cause Mark said they don't even sell it _or _the toner down there in South America. Personally, I woulda done a bit a research," Will chided, taking a sip of his own beer.

"I'm sure he did – which computer set-up's gonna make the rest of us look worse. Joseph knew exactly what he was doing," Don muttered.

"You know, Tony's a smart kid. I don't think it'll take long for the novelty of all of this to wear off."

"Yeah, I hope you're –"

"Donnie, where's Katie?" Noelle asked as she stepped out of the sliding glass doors with a couple salads in her hands.

"She's over in the sandbox with the ankle biters," Don replied. However, as his eyes traveled to where she had been playing with her cousins and the Messer twins only minutes before, he saw that she was no longer there.

Three sets of eyes were soon urgently panning the backyard for the little girl.

"Damn it, someone left the gate open," Don quickly realized.

"Rocco's not here either," Will observed. "She probably went out to find him. She couldn't have gotten too far."

"What's goin' on?" Danny asked, disrupting the conversation he was having with his wife, Will's wife, Mark and Jennifer a few feet away when he saw the looks on his friends' faces.

"Katie's wandered off," Don explained before he threw the barbecue utensils down and high-tailed it off through the back gate and around to the front of the house, Noelle, Danny and Will quickly following. Lindsay, Allison and Jen's eyes all went to their own kids in the sandbox to make sure all they were all accounted for, before filling in the rest of the guests about the missing toddler.

Don had figured it would be easy to spot his little girl and their German shepherd on the quiet tree-lined street, but with cars parked along both sides from their guests and visitors to the block's other homes, nobody instantly saw them. Don and Will headed left while Danny and Noelle went right. Noelle fought the panic that was threatening to overtake her, while the years of being cops that Don, Will and Danny had between them began to put worst case scenarios in all of their the minds.

However, as Don crossed the street and stepped up onto the sidewalk, he quickly spotted his daughter. She was sitting on the grass a few houses down, petting Rocco, while the dog was sprawled out in front of her. "Jesus Christ. Katie!" he called, running down the block towards her.

Katie glanced up at the sound of her father's voice.

"Katie, you can't wander off like that!" he chastised a little more harshly than he intended as he reached her. However, after seeing tears on her cheeks, he crouched down beside her, his expression softening. "Cutie, you need to tell Mommy or me if you want to go somewhere. Were you looking for Rocco?"

She nodded, more tears spilling down over her cheeks.

Don quickly appraised the dog to make sure he had not been hurt or anything as the other adults made their way over to them. Then satisfied that Rocco was fine, Flack looked back at his daughter, smoothing a hand over her curls. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I no…want Wocco go way…like Tony," the little girl cried between sniffles.

"Ah, c'mere, cutie." Don scooped her up in his arms, rubbing her back gently. He looked to his wife, assuring her that their daughter had not come to any physical harm.

"Is Katie okay?" Tony asked worriedly, running over across the street, his uncle taking his time behind him.

Noelle wrapped an arm around her stepson. "She's just a little upset about you going. Seems Rocco got out through the gate and she was afraid he was going, too," she explained.

Tony lowered his eyes, his expression guilty.

"Hey," Noelle said quietly, "it's okay, honey. She's just too little to understand how great of an opportunity this is for you."

Tony stepped up beside Don and put his hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Hey, Katie. I know you're kinda mad at me 'cause I'm going away. But I promise that I'm going to email and call all the time. And I got a web-cam now, so it'll be just like I'm here. I promise."

Katie refused to look at him, keeping her face buried in the crook of Don's neck as she whimpered.

"Just give her a few minutes, buddy. We'll get her back home, get some food in her and ten minutes from now she'll forget she was ever upset," Don assured him, ruffling his hair with his free hand.

Tony nodded sullenly.

"Why don't we all get back to the party?" Will suggested.

"Good idea," Noelle agreed.

"C'mon, boy," Don commanded, looking down at Rocco. "You're the one I should actually be lecturing 'bout wandering off."

The dog seemed reluctant to obey, even letting out a low growl before he finally stood and began walking alongside the group as they headed back to the house.

Tony looked at his uncle. "I gotta call Katie all the time, okay? I don't want her to be sad. She's just a little kid," he said adamantly.

Joseph nodded. "Of course, _mi querido sobrino. _But she _is _a little kid. She'll get over it. No need to worry."

As Rocco came up beside the Alvarez men, he started to bark. Tony looked down at the dog, grabbing his collar. "What's wrong, Rocco?"

The German shepherd nudged the boy's leg with his head, then growled at his uncle before he started barking rather relentlessly.

"It's like he knows," Noelle sighed and said quietly to Don as she looked back to see what had set their dog off. "I'll take him inside." Noelle managed to get Rocco calmed down and led him into the house while everyone else returned to the backyard to reassure the remaining guests that Katie was all right.

Katie was soon sitting on the deck, working on eating part of a cheeseburger. Tony gave her a few minutes before he went over and sat down next to her. She immediately set her foot aside and climbed into his lap, her thumb working its way into her mouth as she cuddled against him. "Love you, Tony."

Tony hugged her. "Ah, I love you, too, kid."

Hours later, most of the guests gone and everything cleaned up, Danny, Don, Lindsay and Noelle all sat out on the back deck with drinks in their hands while the twins and Katie ran around down by the swing set and Tony was off saying goodbye to his friends.

"What's goin' on in that head a-yours?" Danny asked his best friend, noticing the all-too-familiar expression on Flack's face, the expression he got when they were working a case and things were not adding up.

"I don't know. Something's not sittin' right," Don replied.

Noelle sighed deeply. "Donnie, please just stop this. You guys found nothing. Joseph has done nothing but opened up a world of opportunity to his nephew and we just have to accept that Tony is leaving _tomorrow_. Can we just please make the most of the time we have left?" she pleaded.

"Baby, I wish like hell I could let this go. But I can't, in good conscience, let Tony go with this guy if there's something off."

She shook her head in frustration.

"Don, what is it, man?" Danny pressed.

"Yeah, let's talk this out," Lindsay suggested.

Don sat back. "Okay, we got large cash deposits."

"He's an art broker. He needs funds from his clients to make the necessary purchases," Noelle replied.

"Fair enough. But there's also EFT's and from consistent sources that Mark's identified as potential clients. That would suggest the cash deposits are extra income."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Cash deposits and a hunch ain't enough to keep Alvarez from leavin' the country with Tony. C'mon, what else?"

"Well, what's big in South America right now? Drugs? Pirated DVD's and CD's? Weapons? Any of those things can be very profitable," Lindsay pointed out.

Don leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Drugs," he said simply.

"Why'd you go there?" Danny asked, noticing Noelle's eyes widen.

"Rocco. When he worked ESU, he was one of the best at sniffing out illegal drugs. Did you see him growl and bark at Joseph earlier?"

"Joseph's been around here quite a few times in the past few weeks," Noli said pointedly. "Rocco's never reacted like that before."

"Yeah, but when Rocco barked at him this afternoon, it was the first time he had been right next to the guy today."

"Alvarez would have been pretty stupid to have any drugs on him at a party full of cops," Lindsay said.

"He didn't have to be carrying them. But if he was cutting them earlier or around them at all, he could've had remnants on his hands or clothes. That would've been enough for Rocco to pick up on."

Danny shook his head then as he thought back to where they found Katie. "Rocco was sitting by his Mercedes."

"Look, okay, this is a little weird, but if he's really into trafficking drugs, how is he planning on getting them out of the country?" Lindsay questioned. "Who'd have it in them to try to get them through the airport when the city's best homicide detective is going to be right there?"

"Unless he's counting on Don being so focused on Tony that his head wouldn't even go there."

"Or he's planning on getting them out of here in toner cartridges," Don hypothesized. "Mark told my brother that the printer Joseph gave Tony isn't available in South America. He'd have to stock up on the toner here. So, who would question why he has an extra few boxes of toner cartridges with him?"

"You're talking black cocaine." Lindsay looked at him incredulously.

"What's that?" Noelle asked.

Don looked at his wife. "Dean Truby? The case where my memo book put one of my guys behind bars? It started with a bust of black cocaine. Chemicals are mixed with cocaine and turn it black or purple."

"But Don, the chemical compound makes it undetectable to drug-sniffing dogs. Rocco wouldn't have been able to smell it on him."

"Unless it wasn't done right. Or maybe he was around the stuff before it was mixed or he's got other product as well."

"It's all conjecture. We don't have enough for a warrant," she continued to argue.

"But you were right," Noelle said quietly.

"We've still got no proof," Don sighed.

"And we've got less than twenty-four hours to find some," Danny cut in.


	84. Revelations

"_--would question why he has an extra few boxes of toner cartridges with him?"_

"_You're talking black cocaine." Lindsay looked at him incredulously. _

"_What's that?" Noelle asked._

_Don looked at his wife. "Dean Truby? The case where my memo book put one of my guys behind bars? It started with a bust of black cocaine. Chemicals are mixed with cocaine and turn it black or purple."_

"_But Don, the chemical compound makes it undetectable to drug-sniffing dogs. Rocco wouldn't have been able to smell it on him."_

"_Unless it wasn't done right. Or maybe he was around the stuff before it was mixed or he's got other product as well."_

"_It's all conjecture. We don't have enough for a warrant," she continued to argue._

"_But you were right," Noelle said quietly. _

"_We've still got no proof," Don sighed. _

"_And we've got less than twenty-four hours to find some," Danny cut in._

Tony swayed a little from both the movements of the train and the snippets of the conversation he had overheard replaying themselves over and over in his head. He felt dizzy, disoriented. He was angry, and hurt, and confused. And every other emotion in between. He had wanted to run outside and yell at Flack and Noelle, tell them how wrong they were, the accusations they had made completely off the mark. But he had stopped himself because if he had learned anything in his fifteen years, it was that everyone lets you down eventually. They were the only ones who never had. But his own mother had chosen drugs and prostitution over him. So why should he have expected his uncle to be any different?

_Flack and Noelle must think I'm pretty stupid for believing him_, he thought to himself as the train continued along the rails.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Noelle asked a little worriedly, following Don inside the house through the sliding glass doors.

"To ask some questions," he replied cryptically. He headed through the kitchen and opened the front hall closet, pulling out the lock box that held his gun and his shield.

"Donnie…"

"Maybe Linds is right. Maybe it's all speculation. Maybe I've been a cop so long that I've become completely jaded and I just expect the worst in everyone. But what if we're right, Noli? Then there's no way in hell we can let Tony get on a plane tomorrow with a drug trafficker."

"Flack, I'm goin' with," Messer piped in, joining the couple in the entryway to their house.

"It's okay, Dan. I got this."

"No, c'mon, I know where you're headed. You got too much history to do this alone, all right? Montana'll stay here with Hansen and the kids."

Don knew there was no point in arguing, especially when he saw a hint of relief on his wife's face. "Fine." He moved closer to Noelle, looking at her seriously. "I won't be long."

She nodded. "Tony should be back soon. What should I tell him?"

"Just tell him Messer and I had to take care of something and I'll be back before he heads to bed. Then we'll, uh – We'll deal with him together, all right?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It's gonna be okay, doll. I promise."

"Just be careful. The last thing this family needs is for the two of you to turn into some maverick cowboys."

Danny chuckled.

Don rolled his eyes at both his wife and his best friend. "We'll be careful. I love you."

Noelle watched the guys drive off, then returned to the back deck with a furrowed brow. "Tell me I have nothing to worry about," she said to Lindsay.

"With those two? I'd worry about the other guy."

Noli smiled at that, and with a sigh, she sat back down on the Adirondack chair she had vacated. "I don't want Tony to go, but I didn't want his uncle to turn out to be involved in something underhanded, either."

"I know. But if Joseph's involved in something as bad as this, it's better to find out now and do whatever we have to to keep Tony safe."

"I just don't know how we're going to make this all okay for him."

"By doing what you guys have been doing all along. You guys have loved that boy unconditionally since he walked through your door. In this house, he knows he's safe and loved. You just have to remind him that that hasn't changed."

Noelle nodded. "You're right." She glanced out at her daughter, playing happily with Matteo and Olivia, completely oblivious to the latest drama. Then as her eyes fell onto the twins, she remembered what she had meant to ask Lindsay earlier. She looked back at her friend. "So, when were you planning on telling me that you were pregnant anyway?"

Lindsay's eyes widened a little. "How'd you…?"

"I had my suspicions, but when you first arrived this afternoon, Danny handed you a water instead of a beer without even asking. And you really need to stop mixing ice cream and potato chips. That's definitely not subtle."

Lindsay looked a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, No. I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I just know how difficult the past few weeks have been for you guys."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't have celebrated with you." Noelle leaned over and hugged her friend. "I'm really happy for you and Danny."

"Thanks. We were a little surprised. But now that it's sunk it, I'm really happy. I just know how crazy things are gonna get."

"Well, if I've learned anything, Linds, it's that life is never _not_ crazy. I think tonight's proved that yet again."

* * *

Danny stood at the back of the visitor's room watching Don pace. "You're makin' me a little nervous," Messer finally said.

Flack stopped. He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Think this was the right move?"

"I think it's as good a place to start as any."

"Yeah, well, if it turns out to be a dead end, I don't know what else to do short of showing up at the airport tomorrow with Rocco and hopin' that whatever set him off today wasn't some fluke."

"It's not a bad idea, man."

Don rested his head back. "This is gonna wreck Antonio. I don't even want to think about what this is gonna do to him. If we're right – Damn it, I hate the son-of-a-bitch for doing this to him."

Danny said nothing further, leaving Don alone with his thoughts as they waited. Fortunately, only a few more minutes passed before the steel door opened. Flack took a deep breath as if preparing himself for what was to follow, before he turned to watch as Dean Truby was led into the room by a uniformed officer. Truby was taken to the centre of the room and seated at the steel table, his expression difficult to read. The uniform then stepped back to wait by the door.

For a moment, the room was full of tense silence, before Dean sat back in the chair, his gaze moving from Don to Danny and back again. "I'm guessing this isn't a social call," he finally said.

Don ran a hand through his hair before walking over and pulling out one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table and taking a seat. "I need some information."

"Takes a lot of nerve to put me away then come here askin' for my help," Truby replied.

Don looked away for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before turning back to the man who had once been a friend. "If you're lookin' for an apology – If that's a condition for you to talk to me, then tell me now so I can go and not waste time I don't got. 'Cause I'm not gonna apologize for what I did. My only regret is that I gave Mac such a hard time about handin' over my book. I would do it again, Dean. Only this time I wouldn't let myself feel like _I_ was the one betraying the badge we both swore an oath to uphold."

Dean folded his hands together on the table and looked at Flack pointedly. "What do you want, Don?"

Don took a breath, letting the past go and focusing on the present. "I need to know if the name Joseph Alvarez means anything to you."

Truby considered a moment. "I'm supposed to give you information out of the goodness of my heart?"

"How 'bout as compensation for the scum we had to let back out on the streets because you took the easy way out?" Danny countered angrily.

"You know, Messer, you're the perfect example of Don's biggest mistake – forgetting where his loyalty lies," Truby shot back, firing off a glare towards Danny before he looked back at Don.

"My loyalty lies first with my family and then with the men and women with whom I serve who still honour the shield we wear," Don argued, his growing frustration evident. "A lot's changed in the last three years. I've got a family now, and one my kids could be in trouble. And you're about my only hope right now of helping him. Now are you gonna answer my question or not? Because I don't got time to debate the past with you, not when my stepson's life could be on the line."

"What're you talkin' about?"

"Jesus Christ, Dean! Do you know Alvarez or not?" Flack yelled.

"I don't know the man. I know the name," Truby finally admitted.

"How?"

"When we put word out on the street about unloading the three keys, he made some inquiries about where it came from," he explained.

Don looked over his shoulder at Danny, his expression betraying how sorry he was to find out how right they were. He turned back and looked at Truby. "You never gave over any names. Why?"

"Would you have believed a cop who was just nailed for murder?"

"I've been lookin' for months. I never found anything on Alvarez. Why should I believe you now?"

"Flack, the guy's not some low-level dealer. He's a higher up. He's the guy pulling the strings whose name his dealers don't even know. You can believe me or not. You're the one asking the questions. What you do with the answers is up to you. But will you at least tell me how this Alvarez guy is connected to your stepson?"

"He's his uncle. And Alvarez is supposed to be taking him to Brazil tomorrow, indefinitely."

Upon hearing Don's explanation, the hard shell that had surrounded Dean since his entrance into the room visibly evaporated. "Then you need me to sign something? 'Cause you need to get that kid away from his uncle or you may never see him again."

* * *

"Do not worry. I have taken care of everything here," Joseph said into his phone.

"I will stop worrying once my distributors are happy. You are taking a big risk. It takes _cajones_ to walk as much product as you have through a New York airport."

"It's perfect. I'm going to have one of New York's finest walking me straight through the gate. And with my nephew alongside me and receipts for the art I'm transporting, no one will look twice. You can assure Marcos that he will have the product in his hands first thing Monday morning. You just make sure everything is taken care of on your end for my arrival."

"It's done, my friend."

"Good. Then I will see you tomorrow."

Joseph hung up the phone then resumed his packing. A few minutes later, he was interrupted by a knock at the door. Furrowing his brow, he zipped up the duffel bag sitting on the bed and walked over to the door. He glanced through the peephole, then opened the door in surprise. "Antonio. What are you doing here, _miejo_?"

Tony stood in the doorway, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. "I need to talk to you, Uncle Joseph."


	85. Thicker than Blood

**A/N **I am deeply sorry for the irregularity in posting the last couple weeks. My family has been reeling lately after experiencing the 7th and 8th deaths among relatives since last Christmas – two of which have been due to tragic car accidents, taking loved ones well before their time. On top of that, I am preparing to go in for surgery next Thursday and have been trying to deal with some anxiety as well as tie up things at work and in my personal life beforehand. As such, WYNL will be taking a hiatus after this chapter for the next few weeks in order to allow me to recuperate.

With that said, I have to say that I am deeply humbled and overwhelmed by all the reviews I've received for the last couple of chapters. You guys really are the best! Having this place to escape to has been such a wonderful gift and I hope that you will all be patiently (or even impatiently) awaiting the next installment. Thank you all for your support until now! Cheers, Suzanne.

* * *

"Matteo and Liv are down for the count," Lindsay said as she entered the kitchen after tucking the twins into Katie's crib. Noticing that her friend was pacing, she looked at her sympathetically. "Sweetie, with Flack and Danny on it, everything will be fine."

"I want to believe that," Noli sighed. "Except Katie knows something's up because I'm letting her play video games when she should be getting ready for bed, Tony should've been home by now, and the guys haven't checked in yet. They went to see Dean Truby, didn't they?"

"I think so," Lindsay agreed. "It's probably the best chance they have of getting anything on Joseph."

Noelle glanced at the clock on the wall with a furrowed brow. "Tony really should've been home by now."

"He, Sonny and John probably ended up throwing the ball around over at the park, not wanting the day to end. You remember what it was like to be that age."

Noelle smiled a little wistfully. "The three of them have gotten so close. At least he'll have them to help him through this, too."

Rocco barked then, just moments before the doorbell rang.

Noelle and Lindsay headed towards the front door, barely beating Katie there. "Katie, you know the rules, honey. You're not allowed to answer the door unless Mommy, Daddy or Tony are here, right?"

The little girl nodded.

Lindsay ruffled her hair as Noelle opened the door, surprised – and then worried – to find Sonny standing there on the porch in front of her. "Hi, Mrs. Flack," the boy greeted, holding out a baseball glove. "Tony left this at my house."

"Where is he now?" she asked.

The teen looked at her strangely. "Uh, here?"

"N-no. He's not home. When did he leave?"

Sonny shrugged. "I dunno. Like a couple hours ago?"

"Thanks, Sonny. Listen, if you hear from him, can you call me, please?"

"Sure, Mrs. Flack."

Noelle shut the door after watching the teen bound back down the driveway and looked at Lindsay worriedly. "Where could he be?"

Lindsay tried to hide the fact that she was concerned herself. "Maybe he went over to John's?"

Noelle rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. First, she tried calling the cell phone they had given Tony when he first came to live with them and was still going to school in the city. The phone went right to voicemail. So Noelle looked at the list of phone numbers they kept on the fridge. Finding John's, she dialed the number anxiously, feeling her heart sink as his mother told her that not only had Tony had not been by at all, but that John had returned from Sonny's himself a couple hours earlier. The knot in her stomach tightened as she hung up the phone and relayed the information to Lindsay.

"Where Tony?" Katie asked from the kitchen doorway.

"He's just out playing with his friends, sweetheart." Noelle walked over and crouched down in front of her daughter, not wanting to upset her anymore than she had already been today. "Why don't you go back and play some more of your baseball game, okay? I bet you're winning, huh?"

Katie nodded proudly.

"That's my girl. Tony will be very proud of you."

"But he go way," she said, her lip quivering as she remembered.

Noelle offered a sad smile. "You know what, honey? Tony's going to be staying right here with us. But he's going to need lots of your hugs and kisses, and to play lots of video games with you once he gets home. You think you can do that for him?"

The little girl's eyes widened. "Tony stay?"

Noli nodded.

"Yay!"

Noelle leaned over and kissed her daughter's cheek, then sent her on her way. Standing back up, she ran a hand through her hair, and suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, God. What if he heard us?" she hypothesized, working out the timeline in her mind.

Lindsay considered the events of the evening and realized it was probably the most logical conclusion. She remembered the sliding glass door being open the entire time the four of them had sat out on the deck talking everything out. They had not been speaking at all in hushed tones and had all been so engaged in the lively discussion that Tony could have easily slipped in, heard them talking from the kitchen, then slipped back out without any of them seeing or hearing him. And having grown up in the city under the circumstances he had, he was as resourceful as a fifteen year old could be.

"So if you just found out that the uncle you thought was really cool and who you're supposed to be leaving the country with in the morning is a drug trafficker, where would you go?"

Both women concluded the same thing. Lindsay, the NYPD detective, knew it was the worst thing possible to corner someone involved in something as big as they were guessing Joseph was, while Noelle, the mother, felt her heart break at what her stepson must be feeling and her stomach knot at what trouble he could find himself in the middle of.

The phone still in her hand, Noli quickly dialed Don's cell phone. When it went straight to voicemail, she bit her lip. "Donnie, it's me. Call me back as soon as you get this, okay? Tony's, uh – He's not here. I think he may have overheard us talking earlier and taken off, maybe to see Joseph. So, please – Just call me, honey." She hung up and looked at Lindsay. "Okay, worst case scenario, everything you guys concluded about Joseph is true. I want to believe that deep down, he still loves Tony and wouldn't let anything happen to him. Is that naïve?"

"I've seen so much incredible stuff on the job, No, that I wouldn't put anything past anyone. But I don't see what it would gain Joseph to have Tony with him, unless he genuinely wanted him there. I'll try and get a hold of Danny, let him know what's going on." Lindsay pulled out her cell and called her husband's mobile number. When his phone went straight to voicemail, too, she did not leave him a message. Instead, she disconnected the call, and dialed yet another number. Not knowing where Flack and Danny were, she had to act.

* * *

"What are we doing back _here_? I believe you promised me drinks not work," Stella pouted as she and Mac wandered through the corridors of the Crime Lab.

Mac offered a smile. "Have you ever known me to break a promise?"

She considered. "Well, no."

He nodded smugly. "I just need to check if there were any print matches on the Franklin case. Then, there is a glass of chardonnay and a quiet booth a Cozy's with your name on it."

Stella followed Mac into his office, lingering by the door as he checked his desk for any new files. She bit her lip. "You think anyone knows?"

He glanced up. "About us?"

"Yes."

"We've been extremely careful. But then again, we do work with some of the best detectives in the country." He moved a couple of folders around on his desk and realized that what he was looking for was not there. "We can go."

"Mac, maybe we should stop being so careful," Stella suggested then.

He quirked an eyebrow. "We talked about this."

"I know. I just feel like we're lying to our best friends."

"Unfortunately, those friends are also colleagues. There are rules in this department."

"Danny and Lindsay –"

"Danny wasn't Lindsay's boss."

She sighed. "Do you want to give us up?"

"No, of course not. Stella, I have been happier the last couple months than I have been in years. And it's all because of you and what I feel for you. But I also enjoy working next to you and I don't want to give that up if it can be helped."

"You really think Bowery would transfer one of us out of here?"

"I think there is a chance."

"Okay, then we'll continue to be careful. Now I really need that glass of chardonnay. Let's get out of here."

They headed out the way they had come. As they waited for the elevator, Mac's phone started to ring. Stella rolled her eyes with a shake of the head as Mac brought his cell to his ear. "Yeah, Mac Taylor. … Danny, slow down. Say that again…"

Stella's annoyance quickly transformed into concern.

"Truby give you enough for a warrant?" Mac inquired.

At the utterance of the name Dean Truby, Stella's concern only grew. She reached over and touched Mac's arm.

"Okay. You guys handle the warrant and I'll connect with ESU to get a team together and meet you at the hotel. Bowery been advised? … Okay. How's Don doing? … I can imagine. All right. We'll see you shortly." Mac disconnected the call and looked at Stella, the lines on his face deepening with worry. "Joseph Alvarez is apparently a high level trafficker. Danny and Don are at the courthouse getting a warrant to search his hotel room. They have reason to believe he's got a large shipment of black cocaine waiting to go out tomorrow."

"_What?_"

"Don's had suspicions for weeks with nothing to go on. I'm not sure what led them to Truby, but they went to speak with him tonight and he gave up the name. ESU's on the ready. We'll go meet them. Go grab your kit. I'll get mine and meet you downstairs."

Stella did not hesitate and headed through the corridors to her own office to retrieve her kit.

En route to the locker room, Mac's phone rang again. "Taylor," he answered with a clipped tone.

"Mac, it's Lindsay. I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but we have a bit of a situation…"

"Is something wrong, _miejo_?" Joseph asked as he ushered Tony into the hotel suite.

Tony thrust his hands into the pocket of his jeans and shrugged a little. "I, uh – It's just…"

Joseph offered a reassuring smile. "You're a little nervous about leaving, huh? I understand. It is a big change. The Flacks have been very good to you. I'm just sorry you ever had a need for them in the first place. I should have been here for you. I know I let you down. But I am going to make it up to you, Antonio. We're blood. And if you can't count on blood, you have nothing."

_Flack and Noelle are the only ones I can count on_, he thought to himself, furrowing his brow_._ The more his uncle talked, the more the words sounded hollow. Even if Joseph really cared about him, he had still been lying since he came to town. "I don't think I should go, _Tio_. I, uh – I think I should stay here in New York. With the Flacks."

Joseph narrowed his eyes. "Having second thoughts is normal, _miejo_. You're leaving everything you know behind. But I guarantee you that incredible opportunities await you in Brazil. We're going to go to some amazing places, you will get to experience culture like you never have before. I have already spoken with the school and you have been enrolled with their baseball program to ensure you keep up your practice, Antonio. This is going to be a wonderful thing for both of us. I promise you."

"What if it's not just second thoughts?" Tony pressed.

"What has brought on this change of heart? I know you have concerns about the little girl, but she will be fine."

Tony felt his heart pounding in his chest. He felt stupid now for taking off, and knew the best thing for him to do was go back home. Flack would know how to fix this, but he was just a kid and had no idea what to do. "I should go. I didn't tell Flack and Noelle I was coming here. They're probably worried."

"Why don't you call them and let them know you're safe, then we can talk this out, _miejo_. Something is obviously bothering you." Joseph noticed his nephew looking a little nervous and was instantly on guard. "Antonio?"

"Okay, Mac, we got it," Don announced, practically jumping out of the SUV before Danny could even shift it into park.

"Hold on, Don. We need to be careful. Tony may be up there," Taylor replied.

Don's eyes widened. "What? How the hell did that happen?"

"You obviously didn't pick up the message Noelle left for you."

"No. My phone's probably sittin' on my bedside table where I left it this morning. Damn it. Why'd he come here?"

"From what Lindsay said, they think he may have overheard you talking earlier," Mac explained.

"What's goin' on?" Danny asked as he walked around the parked SUV, strapping on a vest.

Don ran a hand through his hair. "Tony's upstairs. Linds and Noli think he overheard us. Jesus!" He looked at Mac. "Can I borrow your phone?"

Mac nodded, handing over his cell.

Don took the cell phone and punched in his home number, walking a few feet away. He clenched and unclenched his free hand. He had thought this would be an easy bust. But if Tony was inside, they had to get him out first.

"Hello?"

Don furrowed his brow at the panic in his wife's voice. "Noli. Babe, tell me what happened."

"Sonny came over a while ago with Tony's glove, said he'd left it there. Based on when he said he'd left, Tony should've been back here before you and Danny took off. There's no sign of him, Donnie. I think he heard us talking about Joseph. Where are _you_?" Noelle asked.

"I'm outside the hotel with Danny, Mac and Stel. We got a warrant, but we can't go in as long as Tony's there."

"If Tony confronted Joseph, he's not just going to let him walk out of there," she hypothesized, obvious fear in her tone.

"Then we have to pray he didn't. Or that he didn't even come here." Don took a deep breath, looking at Mac, Danny and Stella, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. "No, did you try Tony's phone already?"

"It was off."

"Look, I'll check in with you in a while. If you hear from him at all, call Mac's phone. Okay?"

"All right. Be careful, honey."

"Always. I love you." Don disconnected the call and looked back at his colleagues. "I gotta get Antonio out of there before Alvarez figures out what he knows. I'm callin' Joseph. If Tony's not there, we can go ahead. If he is, I'm just a concerned father that wants to talk to him and make sure he's okay. I'll find out what he knows."

"Call through the hotel," Danny suggested.

Don nodded. He took another deep breath, then placed the call, asking for Joseph Alvarez' room when he got a hotel operator. The line rang once, twice, three times before Flack heard the deep voice that belonged to Tony's uncle. "Joseph, it's Don Flack. Listen, Tony's taken off and we're obviously concerned. He wouldn't happen to be there with you, would he?"

"Don, yes, as a matter of fact, he is," Joseph replied.

Don's eyes shot heavenward. "You, uh – You mind if I talk to him? I think I know why he may be a little upset. I'll put his mind at ease."

"Certainly. Just a moment…"

Don nodded towards Danny, Stella and Mac.

"Hi, Flack," came Tony's voice a minute later, sounding a little strained.

"Tony, are you all right?"

"Y-yeah. I'm sorry. I was just kinda having second thoughts. But now that Uncle Joseph and I have talked it over, I was just worrying for nothing. I mean, Katie'll be fine, right?"

Don narrowed his eyes. "You heard No and I talkin' earlier with Dan and Lindsay, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Did you say anything about it to your uncle?"

"N-no."

"Good. Can you get out of there? I'm right downstairs."

"I think so. I'm sorry I took off without telling anyone."

"It's okay, kid. I get it. But listen, buddy, your uncle's involved in some dangerous things. It's not safe for you to be there. Just tell him everything's okay now, you're glad you talked and you'll see him in the morning. Tell him I'm in the city and I'll come pick you up," Don advised. "Just come downstairs and I'll meet ya in the lobby."

"Okay. Thanks, Flack. I'll see ya soon."

"You got it, kid. And Tony? You know that Noelle and I love you, right?"

"I know," Antonio replied quietly.

Hearing the phone click off, Don closed his eyes for a brief moment. "He, uh – He's comin' down. He hadn't said anything to Joseph about what we suspect, so hopefully he can get out of there."

"So we wait," said Danny.

"We wait. I'm not doin' anything that'll put Tony in any danger. But his uncle starts to suspect something's up and we could be screwed."

* * *

Tony set the receiver back down in the cradle and turned to his uncle. "Flack's on his way. He said he'd pick me up."

Joseph nodded. "But you're feeling better now about leaving?"

Tony nodded slowly.

"Good. That's my boy. I promise you, things will be good for us in Brazil."

"I know. I, uh – I should go wait downstairs for Flack. He said he wouldn't be long."

"Sure. I'll come wait with you, _mi sobrino_."

Tony's eyes widened momentarily. "You don't have to. I can wait by myself."

"It's getting late. I'll come with you, make sure you get off safely." Joseph grabbed the key card from a nearby table, and escorted his nephew out.

They waited for the elevator for what seemed like an eternity in the boy's mind. Finally it arrived and they got in alone, Tony hitting the button for the ground floor. The ride down seemed interminable, even without the car stopping on any other floors. Finally, the doors opened, and Tony and Joseph stepped off and started to cross the lobby. Tony saw Flack first and breathed a sigh of relief. He was standing over at the front desk, speaking with the concierge.

"Flack!"

Don glanced up and turned around. His relief was short-lived when he saw that Joseph was with his stepson. Fortunately, the ESU truck and the NYPD SUV's had been moved out of sight of the front doors of the hotel, but Don would have felt better if Joseph had stayed in the room, where there was little chance of him growing suspicious. He walked over.

"You must have been nearby," Joseph commented.

"We figured this is where he had gone. And you have an early day tomorrow. We didn't want you to have to drive all the way to Queens and back again tonight." Don ruffled his stepson's hair. "You ready to go?"

"Sure," Tony said quietly.

Don glanced back at Joseph. "We'll see you at the airport in the morning then."

Joseph nodded. He looked at his nephew. "Sleep well, _miejo_. Remember that everything will be well."

"Goodnight, Uncle Joseph."

Don nodded his goodbye to Joseph, then put an arm around his stepson's shoulder and guided him out of the hotel. Outside, he led him left down the street a block to where the department vehicles were waiting. Danny, Mac, Stella and a couple ESU guys were standing around, waiting for the go-ahead, armed and ready.

"I'm sorry, kid," Don offered. "About everything."

"It's not your fault," Antonio replied sadly. "But how'd you know?"

"Rocco. Look, I need you to wait in the car while we go in and make the arrest, all right?"

Tony nodded, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Hey, look at me. It's gonna be all right."

Don got Tony situated in the back of one of the SUV's with a uniform guarding him, then the detectives gathered with the ESU guys to go over the plan. With a dog from the canine unit leading the charge with his ESU owner, they headed up the stairs in two groups, both quickly surrounding the hotel suite.

Warrant in hand, Don was the one to knock on the door. "Joseph, it's Don Flack. Open up."

A moment later, the door opened. "Did Tony forget something?" Joseph asked.

Don held up the search warrant. "No, but _I_ forgot to serve you with this. I suggest you call a lawyer."


	86. He Wept

**A/N **Thank you to every one who has sent their best wishes the past couple weeks. My surgery went well. My recovery has been slow, but at least I have had some time to write. I appreciate everyone's ongoing support and interest in my story!

* * *

Danny stepped inside the house behind Tony, shaking his head slightly as Noelle and Lindsay rushed into the entryway.

"Oh, thank God," Noelle sighed, greeting her stepson with a tight hug.

"Can't…breathe," Tony stammered, his arms staying down at his side.

Noli stepped back, looking him over. "I'm sorry, honey. I just –" Seeing the dejected look on his face, she furrowed her brow. "I'm really sorry."

"It ain't your fault," he said quietly.

"Tony! Tony!" Katie exclaimed happily, running out into the foyer and throwing her arms around his legs.

"How come you're still up, rug rat?"

"Mommy say I give you hugs and kisses and we pway baseball game," she explained, looking up at him with a grin. "You stay, wight?"

The toddler's smile could stop a war, but it did nothing to melt Tony's hardened demeanour. All he could see right now was his uncle being put into a squad car with his hands cuffed behind his back. "I'm stayin', kid." He looked at his stepmother. "I'm goin' upstairs."

"Tony…" Noelle started.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he said dismissively, lightly ruffling Katie's hair then walking past Noelle and Lindsay and high-tailing it up the stairs.

"Mommy? Why Tony sad?" Katie asked, tears filling her eyes, fearful she had done something wrong.

"Katie, Tony's just got some grown-up stuff on his mind right now. Why don't you and I go get some apple juice?" Lindsay suggested, offering her hand to the little girl.

"'k, Aunt Lindy. And then we wead a story?"

"Sure, sweetie. C'mon." Lindsay laid a comforting arm on her best friend's arm, then took Katie's hand and led her into the kitchen.

Danny gestured to the living room, then swung and arm over Noelle's shoulder and led her inside. "He's pissed, Hansen. Just give him some time."

She sat down on the couch, taking a long, deep breath. "Yeah, well, he's not the only one that's pissed off. I could strangle Joseph for doing this. Be honest, Dan. How bad?"

"We found about thirty keys' worth of black cocaine hidden in toner cartridges as we suspected, another ten or fifteen of other stuff packed between three paintings and their backings. Gotta hand it to the guy, he was good."

"Oh, my God," she whispered in disbelief.

"No weapons, though. 'Course, he figured he didn't need 'em. He had the perfect cover. He had one of NYPD's own to walk him right through the gate. And honestly, if he hadn't screwed up when he was packin' the stuff so that Rocco picked up on it, he might've gotten away with it."

"He could've gotten Tony killed."

"Don't go there, sweetheart. Tony's upstairs, he's in one piece. That's all you got to worry about, okay? Let Major Case and the D.A. deal with Joseph."

She nodded slowly, still numb. "Where's Don?"

"He wanted to tag along to the station and see if Joseph talked. My guess, he won't say anything." Danny hesitated for a moment. "Listen, Hansen, Tony wanted to talk to his uncle. He was pretty insistent 'bout it. Gotta give it to the kid, he's got some determination in him. Don talked him down for tonight. Tomorrow's another story."

"If Tony wants to talk to him, I think he should have the chance," Noelle replied. "Joseph owes him that."

Danny raised his eyebrows, a little surprised at her take. He thought Don was going to have to fight her once he got home, Flack having been of the same opinion.

Noticing Messer's incredulous expression, she smiled slightly. "He'll be surrounded by cops. He'll be safe. And without it, he's never going to have any closure. He was too young when his mother was taken away and there's still this part of him that's never really dealt with all of that. I don't want that to happen to him again. He also needs to know that Don and I respect him and his decisions, and that we support him."

"No wonder you're such a good writer. You've got good insight."

"You've read my stuff?" she asked, a little surprised.

He furrowed his brow then, rubbing the back of his neck the way he did when he got kind of nervous. There was no way to answer with an affirmative without admitting he had opened the covers of _Moda Bella _magazine.

"I'm too worried about Tony right now to needle you about this, Messer, but don't think I'll forget." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for keeping my guys in one piece tonight."

**

* * *

**

Don paced in the small room adjoining Interrogation Three. Joseph was inside, tight-lipped, refusing to say anything as he heeded his attorney's advice. Mac was getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress, in spite of the pictures of the evidence they had found in Alvarez' hotel room littering the steel table between them. They had enough to lay charges, so finally, Mac and the detective from Major Case, got up and walked out. They would charge and process Joseph, and see how the D.A. wanted to play this out.

"Nothing?" Don grumbled as Mac entered the side room and joined him.

Mac shook his head.

"I wanna talk to him before he's processed."

"He's not going to say anything tonight."

"It's not about the case." He took a deep breath. "Give me two minutes, Mac. That's all I'm askin' for."

"Of course."

With a heavy sigh, Don walked out of the side room and into interrogation. The uniform on guard stepped aside for the homicide detective, and the hushed conversation Alvarez was having with his lawyer ceased.

"My client has nothing further to say," Joseph's attorney said sharply.

Don ignored the snake in a suit. He walked over and set his palms down on the table, leaning over a little so he could look Joseph in the eye. "Your nephew wants to talk to you. I made him a deal that if he went home tonight, I'd bring him by tomorrow and let him see you. I don't know why I'm bein' nice enough to give you the heads up, 'cause I'm feelin' anything but nice right now. But maybe it's because I love Tony enough to make sure you got some explanation ready that's not gonna make him feel like you were usin' him this whole time. Think on that tonight while you're enjoying the NYPD's stellar accommodations." And with that, he turned and headed back for the door.

"Don."

He stopped in his tracks at the sound of Joseph's voice, but hesitated for a moment before turning around.

"I love Antonio," Joseph said simply.

Despite the hatred boiling inside of him, Flack was not sure he doubted the sincerity in Alvarez' voice. "You got a hell of a way of showin' it. You could have gotten him killed! Fortunately, all he ended up with is a broken heart, and that's somethin' my wife and I might have a chance to fix." With a disgusted scowl, Don left without a second look back.

Pulling into his driveway forty-five minutes later, he found the Messers' vehicle gone. Part of him was relieved. All he wanted right now was to kiss his wife, hug his daughter, and ensure that the boy he loved like his own son was as okay as he could be under the circumstances.

He walked inside just as Noelle was making her way down the stairs, her body language betraying the same exhaustion and worry he was feeling. He closed and locked the door, then opened his arms to her. When she walked into his embrace, he just held her tightly for what seemed like an eternity. It was just after eleven p.m., but it felt like it had been days since he and Danny had headed off in search of the truth.

"I'm glad you're home," Noelle murmured into the crook of his neck.

"Yeah." He closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the warmth of her body, before he pulled back. "How's he doin'? Or is that the stupidest question I've ever asked you?"

"He's very angry. Not that he's said more than a few words. I went up a while ago to check on him, but when I knocked he just asked to be left alone."

Don nodded, not surprised. "Katie asleep?"

"Yes. Finally."

He nodded again, running a weary hand over his face. He then saw the baseball glove Danny had given Tony for his birthday sitting on the side table and he got an idea.

Noelle followed his gaze and offered a small smile.

Don kissed his wife's temple, and then jogged up the stairs. He had seen the light on in Tony's room when he pulled into the driveway so he figured he was still up. He quirked an eyebrow, however, when he found Rocco laying down in front of the door, diverging from his usual resting spot in Katie's room. Don crouched down and petted the dog's head. "You're a good cop, Rocco. You did real good today." He then stood back up, stepped over the German shepherd, and rapped softly on Tony's door. "Grab your bat, kid, and meet me downstairs."

Don did not wait for a response. He walked across the hall and quietly entered his daughter's room. He walked over and leaned over the edge of her crib, reminding himself once again that they needed to convert it into a bed before Katie got it in her head to try climbing out of it. He watched his little angel as she slept for a couple minutes, the slow rise and fall of her chest, the hint of a smile on her lips. Then when he heard the sound of Tony's door opening, he smiled to himself, and leaned down to kiss his girl's cheek.

"What do you want, Flack?" Tony groused as Don emerged and closed Katie's door, though he stood in the doorway of his own room with his bat in his hand.

"I wanna play some ball. C'mon. You, too, Rocco."

Tony furrowed his brow, but followed Flack down the stairs, the dog at their heels.

Don grabbed the boy's glove and three of the baseballs sitting by the hall closet and nodded at his wife, who had been waiting in the foyer to see whether this was going to play out the way her husband planned.

"Be careful," was all Noelle said as Don grabbed his keys and led the boy and their dog outside.

"Flack, what are you doing?" Tony pushed as he followed Don down the driveway.

"I told ya. We're gonna play some ball." He whistled at Rocco to keep up and guided them the two blocks to the baseball field at the elementary school.

"It's like eleven-thirty," Antonio argued. "You want to play baseball?"

"Yeah. You hittin' or pitching?"

Tony scowled, but when he saw Flack was not backing down, he shook his head. "Pitching. You can't throw a curve to save your life."

Don smirked. "We'll see if you're still such a smart-ass when I get ya on skates." He took the bat from Tony and exchanged it for the glove and the baseballs. "No holdin' back."

Flack then took position at home plate and watched his stepson walk out to the pitcher's mound, his shoulders still slumped from the weight of the day. He watched with a hint of a smile then as the boy rolled his shoulders and stretched out his arms to warm up.

"C'mon, kid. Give it your best shot," Don called out after a couple minutes.

Tony took a breath, and then took his pitcher's stance, wound up, and let a fastball fly.

Don did not even have a chance. The ball flew right by him, crashing into the fence a few feet behind the plate. Damn, the kid was good. However, looking back towards the pitcher's mound and seeing the expression on Antonio's face, Don knew he had just scratched the surface. "That's it? That's the best you got?" he taunted him.

Tony grabbed another of the baseballs, wounds up, and fired off an even more wicked fastball.

Don batted another strike. He looked back out at his stepson and nodded, stepping back up to the plate.

The boy took a deep breath as he picked up the last of the baseballs. He took his time getting back into his stance. He took even longer before he finally wound up. However, the ball never left his hand. Instead, Don watched as the ball fell to the ground and Tony turned away slightly, his shoulders starting to shake.

Flack had hoped for this outcome, the purpose for the late night trip to the sand lot. He had expected it to take longer, but was not about to complain. He threw the bat aside and ran out to the pitcher's mound, and without a moment's thought, he pulled the fifteen year old boy into his arms. "It's okay, man. Just let it go."

Tony did not say anything, but let the tears fall unabashedly. And there, in the middle of a baseball field, as the rest of town settled down for the night, he wept.


	87. Pleas

"Hey, baby. Did you sleep at all?" Noelle asked gently as she walked into the kitchen and found her husband impatiently watching the coffeemaker.

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

She wandered over and opened the cupboard overhead to retrieve a mug for herself, then greeted Don with a kiss on the cheek. "You did a good thing last night."

"I dunno, doll. He's still got a lot of anger inside of him."

Noelle bit her lip. "I've been wondering if we should look into getting him some counseling."

Don sighed. "I don't always have a lot of use for shrinks or psychologists, but it might be something worth pursuing. This could be bigger than us."

She nodded solemnly.

The coffeemaker finished brewing and Don poured them each a cup. They sat down at the kitchen table together, and for a while just let the silence fall between them. It was the ringing of Don's cell phone that finally cut into the quiet. He reached over and picked up the offensive object from the middle of the table. "It's Mac," he told his wife, answering the call. "Yeah, Flack."

"Morning, Don. How are you doing?" the Marine asked, his tone laced with deep concern.

"I'm not the one you need to worry about, but I'm okay. Any news?"

"Joseph's arraignment is set for eleven. If you still want to bring Tony in, I'll be happy to secure a visit beforehand."

"Thanks, Mac. I take it he still ain't talking?"

"No. We found trace on his clothes but so far that's the only physical evidence we've got," Taylor explained.

"Son-of-a-bitch. Listen, I appreciate the update. I'll have Tony there in a couple hours. Thanks again."

"No problem. I'll see you later."

Don disconnected the call and looked at his wife. "Joseph's being arraigned at eleven."

Noelle furrowed her brow. "How do you think he'll plead?"

"Considering he's not talkin', I'd be surprised if he didn't enter a not guilty plea." He leaned forward, resting his head in his hands for a moment, trying to swallow the anger he himself had been feeling since the day before. Finally, he looked back at Noelle. "Tony was pretty insistent last night about seeing him."

"Danny told me. I'm guessing you think it's a good idea from what you said to Mac?"

"He's fifteen. I think he can handle it. And honestly, I think he needs it."

Noelle agreed.

"Mac said he'll arrange a visit before the hearing. I'll call Ma, see if she can watch Katie so we can both go with him."

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, her expression was one of guilt. "Do you want to know what kind of selfish woman you married? As much as I hate how much pain Antonio's in, I can't help but feel happy that he's staying and there's nothing left to take him away from us."

Don offered a small smile, reaching over and taking her hand. "It ain't selfish, doll. It's honest." He stood up, kissing the top of her head. "We'll get him through this. I'll go call Ma."

En route to the precinct a couple hours later, Don glanced in the rear view mirror at his stepson. Antonio had not said more than two words all morning. Even as Katie babbled on through breakfast, he just stared at the cereal he had at first refused. He had only grunted at Rocco when the German shepherd insisted on following him around while he showered and dressed. And when Katie cried over being dropped off at her grandparents' when everyone else got to stay together, he offered no words of comfort as was his usual custom. Flack knew it had been good for Tony to get some of his aggression out the night before, but he was not naïve enough to think it had been some kind of miracle fix. And while he and Noelle both thought it was a good idea for Tony to be permitted to see Joseph, they both shared the same ambivalence over the possible end result.

Mac had pulled some strings and arranged for the family to meet in a conference room in the Crime Lab, as opposed to exposing the teen to a cold, steel interrogation room in the precinct. For Tony's sake, Flack was appreciative. He just hoped that Joseph did not think any favours were being handed out on his behalf.

At twenty minutes after ten, Joseph was led into the room. His attorney had secured him a suit and tie for the arraignment, but he was still brought into the room in cuffs. Tony had been leaning against the wall, Noelle and Flack standing just a few feet away, and had visibly flinched as the uniformed officer guided Alvarez inside. The expression on Joseph's face was difficult to read, even for the seasoned homicide detective in Don. His overly-confident demeanour seemed to crumble slightly as he laid eyes on his nephew, whose own expression betrayed his anger, disappointment and hurt.

Without greeting his uncle, Tony looked at his stepparents. "Can I talk to him alone?" he requested.

Don went to object, but Noelle reached out and touched his arm. "We'll be just outside if you need anything," Flack agreed then with a nod towards Tony before he fired a warning glare in Joseph's direction.

Once he was left alone with Joseph, Tony's tough shell cracked a little and he fidgeted. He glanced at the uniform standing guard and the reality of the situation hit him once again.

"You want to sit?" Joseph asked.

Antonio shook his head.

Alvarez furrowed his brow. "Listen, _miejo_…"

"Don't call me that," the boy ordered, meeting his uncle's gaze for the first time. His voice barely audible, he posed the first question: "Why did you do it?"

"Antonio, _mi sobrino, _this is all some big misunderstanding. My attorney will have it resolved and we can –"

"Stop lying. You've been lying since you got back!" Tony hissed.

"I never lied to you."

"Yes you did! And you're still lying! Have you even seen my mom?"

"Of course. Tony, listen. No matter what they accuse me of, it has nothing to do with our family. I love you."

"No, you don't! Flack's the best cop there is. He never woulda had you arrested if you didn't do anything and if he had no proof. So just stop lying!"

Joseph straightened his stance. "We're blood, Antonio. Show me some respect."

"You keep saying that, but it doesn't mean anything! My mom picked drugs over me and you swore that it was gonna be different. But you're the exact same as she was! Why should I show you any respect? If you really ever cared about me, you woulda come back when Grandma was sick. I can't believe I let myself forget that." Tony scowled. "I don't care if you have the best lawyer in the world and you get outta this. I'm staying with the Flacks 'cause they're my real family."

"You don't mean –"

"I'm not just some stupid kid, _Tio_."

"They have turned you against me and told you these lies. You have to listen to me –"

"No, Uncle Joseph. I don't have to respect you. And I don't gotta listen to you."

**XXX**

"Hey, guys. How are you holding up?" Lindsay asked as she and Danny approached Flack and Noelle in the corridor near the conference room.

Noelle shook her head. "I feel like we just fed our young to a wolf," she sighed, furrowing her brow as the words escaped. "And now I think I'm mixing metaphors."

Don reached out and took his wife's hand. "Thanks for everything you guys have done. And I'm not just talkin' about this thing with Joseph. We've really been leaning on you the past few months."

Danny shrugged. "Just remember this when Matt gets arrested one day and calls you up 'cause he's too freaked out to call his old man or his mother."

Lindsay looked at her husband with a quirk of her eyebrow. "Nice, Messer."

"What? I'm just sayin'…"

"And I'm saying you're sexist. With two parents as cops, you think Liv doesn't have as good a chance at rebelling?"

"Uh-uh. See, like I've said before, we're puttin' Liv in a convent when she's like thirteen, fourteen. Then we don't gotta worry about anything."

"You poor, delusional man," she muttered.

Noelle laughed softly, grateful for the break in the tension.

"They been in there long?" Lindsay asked after a moment.

"Just a few minutes," Don replied. They had headed down the hall, wanting to give Tony some privacy in spite of the glass walls, but he was wishing he was inside the room with his stepson. However, he also appreciated the distraction and the concern of his friends. "So, I, uh – I hear congratulations are in order."

Lindsay's cheeks reddened a little as she nodded with a smile.

"Guess I'm a little off my game this time around," he added with a quick flash of his dimples. "It's great news, guys."

"Thanks, man." Danny accepted a warm handshake from his best friend. "Zero to five in three years. We overachievers or what?"

"Could be six. Who knows, you guys could end up with another set of twins!" Don suggested.

"_Please. _Don't even joke about that," Lindsay pleaded.

The four friends had shifted the conversation from the impending addition to the Messer clan to Don and Tony's late night at the baseball diamond when the door to the conference room opened. Tony emerged, looking no more the worse for wear, quickly glancing around for his stepparents. Spotting them, he headed down the hall. And as if to punctuate the last point he had made to his uncle, he stood beside Flack and Noli as they all watched the uniformed officer lead Joseph away once again in cuffs.

"You ready to go home, kid?" Don asked, laying a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder.

The teen hesitated for a moment.

"What is it, honey?" Noelle queried.

"What happens now?"

Don took a breath. "You mean with your uncle?"

"Yeah."

"Uh, he's going to be arraigned, which means the judge will ask him to enter a plea. Since I'm guessing he'll plead not guilty, they'll either set bail and he'll be released if he can pay it, or the judge will order him to remain in custody awaiting trial."

"Even if he's released, I don't have to see him, right?"

"Tony, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Noelle assured him.

He nodded and exhaled slowly. "I'd like to go home now."

"Sure thing," Don agreed.

They said their goodbyes to the Messers then headed for the elevators. As they waited, Tony looked at his stepparents. "You think we can get Katie a little bat of her own? She keeps askin' me to teach her how to hit for real."

Noli could not help but smile at the hint of the return of the boy she had come to love. Locking eyes with her husband, she believed that maybe they really could get him through this.

**XXX**

With things being slow at the Lab, Danny headed to the courthouse and found the right room after what seemed like an interminable search. Opening the door, he was just in time to hear the judge ask, "How do you plead, Mr Alvarez?"

Danny raised his eyebrows, awaiting the response.

"Not guilty, your honour," Joseph replied.

_Smug bastard. _And as quickly as he had entered the courtroom, Danny exited. Although not surprised, he knew this meant this was no where close to being over.


	88. Batting Practice

**A/N **Fluff alert! Consider yourself warned. In fact, this chapter is so sweet, your teeth might actually hurt LOL I blame the fact that I'm under the influence of pain killers.

* * *

"What do you think you're doin', cutie?"

Katie turned her head, her eyes widening at the realization that she had been caught.

Don fought the smirk that threatened to cross his face. If he had not heard the sound of a chair scraping across the kitchen floor, he would have been worried when he went to look in on his daughter and found her missing from her crib. Instead, he was amused that not only had she found someway to crawl out of the crib, but she had also figured out how to use the kitchen chair to get to the cookie jar on the counter. With a shake of his head, he walked over to his little girl, ducking his head to meet her at eye level. "No cookies for breakfast."

"Jus' one," she pleaded.

"Just one?"

She nodded.

"Fine. You can have an oatmeal raisin one 'cause that sounds kind of breakfast-y. But no tellin' your ma." He ruffled her hair with one hand while he opened the cookie jar with the other and pulled out a cookie. He went to hand it to her, but then balked and pulled his hand back when she went to take it from him.

Katie pouted.

"One more condition there: no more climbing out of your crib. Daddy will fix it and make it into a big-girl bed, but 'til I get the chance, you have to keep asking me or Mommy when you want out. Deal?"

She nodded, her eyes trained on the cookie the entire time.

Don chuckled and handed her the contraband sweet. He then lifted her down off the chair and moved it back over to the table. Noticing that his daughter was about to make a run for it, he reached out and grabbed her, swinging her up into his arms. "And where do you think you're going now?"

"I get Tony and Mommy," she explained.

"Your mother's in the shower and Tony's still sleeping. How 'bout you stay right here and keep me company while I make some pancakes?"

"We have pancakes?"

"That okay?"

She nodded excitedly, biting into her cookie.

"You better still be hungry or your ma's gonna kill me," he muttered. He kissed her cheek then set her back down. "Why don't you sit at the table and colour with your crayons there while I get all the stuff out. Then you can help me mix everything up, okay?"

"'k, Daddy. I help!"

He flashed his dimpled grin at her exuberance. He was almost able to forget the fact that his daughter's escape act had precluded his plans to join his wife in the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Tony ambled into the kitchen in his pajamas with his short, black hair standing on end in various places, Rocco following close behind. "Pancakes?" he asked hopefully as he found Katie stirring batter awkwardly at the kitchen table while Don started the coffeemaker.

"You got it," Flack replied, grateful to see even a hint of a smile on the boy's face.

Joseph had been denied bail at his arraignment and remanded to custody pending trial. The news had not really phased Tony, the chance to confront his uncle having helped him get through some of his anger. He had then spent the afternoon with Sonny and John on the baseball field. Don and Noelle were not sure whether he had explained to his friends the circumstances behind him staying; he had not said and they had not asked. They decided to let him handle this in his own way, unless he started exhibiting any questionable behaviour or otherwise demonstrated that he was, in fact, _not_ handling it. In the three days that had followed, he had been on the quiet side, but otherwise, he seemed to be coping as best he could. Although, as Tony now helped himself to a glass of orange juice, and then took to setting the table without being asked. Don wondered if he should consider _that_ questionable behaviour.

"Noelle's got to go into the city for a meeting with her editor this morning, but I was thinking we could take Katie over to the park," Don suggested. "You said you wanted to teach her how to hit, right?"

Katie raised her head at the sound of her name and her eyes got as wide as saucers.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Tony agreed. "Whaddaya think, rug rat? You want to learn how to play real baseball?"

"Yay! Wocco, too!"

Antonio rolled his eyes. "I don't think the mutt will be able to hold the bat, considering he's got no opposable thumbs, but we'll see what we can do."

"What position do you want to play, cutie?" Don asked, leaning down and kissing his daughter's head before retrieving the bowl of pancake batter to finish off what she had started.

"Pitcher! Like Hawwiday," she announced.

"Halliday?" Tony asked incredulously. "No, no, no, Katie. He's a Blue Jay. You mean like Mussina."

The two and a half year old furrowed her brow.

"Hey, no knockin' the Jays there," Noelle commented brightly as she joined her family, dressed and ready for her meeting,

"C'mon, Noelle. Seriously. The Jays?" Tony continued.

"Watch it, Tony," Don warned jokingly. "The Hansen women have this thing for Toronto. Even though none of them ever actually lived there. I've just learned to accept it."

"But it's the Jays! They haven't won a Series since '93!"

"Which was their second back-to-back win," Noelle reminded him. "And when exactly did the Mets last take a Series win? I think it was, what, 1969?"

"Who said anything about the Mets?" Tony looked at his little sister very seriously. "Katie, it's all about the Yankees, okay? They won four out of five Series from '96 to 2000. Overall, they've had thirty-nine appearances in the Series, with twenty-six wins. That's the most of _any_ major sports franchise in the country. You gotta be a Yankees fan, rug rat. It's the only way to go."

Katie had no idea what any of that meant, but it sounded impressive and Tony was very convincing. So she decided she would root for the New York Yankees and try to be like Mike Mussina so he would be happy. "Okay," she said with a shrug.

"We'll remember this conversation one day when you get drafted to the Blue Jays," Noelle teased him.

The family sat down and enjoyed breakfast together, Tony continuing to educate his little sister on all of the nuances of his favourite sport. Don and Noelle caught each other's gaze a few times, relieved that there was some sense of normalcy back in the boy's life. Although they both knew he needed to talk more about the situation with Joseph at some point, they also knew it was good that he was at least talking about _something_ with them instead of shutting down.

Noelle took off right after breakfast to avoid being late for her meeting, and Don sent Tony off to shower and get dressed while he cleaned up the kitchen. He then looked at his daughter, still settled in her booster seat and half covered in maple syrup and blueberries. "You need a bath," he sighed.

She shook her head rather vehemently. "No, we go pway baseball!"

"We will, cutie. But first we need to de-pancake you. One of these days you're actually going to eat more than you wear. C'mon…"

Despite her protestations all the way upstairs, Don managed to strip his little girl of her pajamas and get her into the bathtub in his and Noelle's en suite. Soon she resembled his toddler once again. He got her dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then had yet another fight on his hands as he tried to apply some sunscreen. He finally convinced her that the mommies and daddies of the entire Yankees' line-up made _them_ put on sun tan lotion before every game, too, so if she wanted to be like Mike Mussina, she was going to need to wear it. That seemed to do the trick and soon they were off to the park.

A short while later, Katie was excitedly running around the baseball diamond with Rocco while Don and Tony got out the equipment they had bought for her the other afternoon: a little bat, a batter's helmet, some softballs and a little glove. Once everything was out, they called her over to outfit her. The helmet was a little big but would suffice, and Tony soon had his little sister positioned behind home plate with the bat in her hands, showing her how to hold it.

Don could not resist – he pulled out the video camera he had brought along. He wondered for a split second when he had turned into one of _those _dads, and then just marveled at the fact that he got to be there watching _his_ kids playing ball in the first place. Joseph had thrown out more than once that fact that he and Tony were blood, as if that was some kind of definitive connection. But as Don recorded Tony guiding Katie through her first batting practice, his heart swelled with as much pride as if he had bestowed Tony with his blue eyes or Katie with his black hair. His only regret was that his wife was not at his side witnessing this along with him.

"Okay, kid, I'm just gonna lob the ball. Remember what I told ya, okay? Just keep your eye on the ball and swing," Tony reminded Katie as he walked a few feet away.

Katie nodded, causing the batter's helmet to slide down over her eyes.

Tony laughed at the sight. He jogged back over and re-positioned the helmet on her head, patting her back with encouragement before he stepped out of the way.

"'k. Go, Tony!" Katie requested.

"All right, rug rat. Here we go. You ready?" Antonio asked.

"I weady!"

Tony chuckled softly and stepped back a couple more feet. He then gently lobbed an underhand pitch towards her.

Katie swung and made contact, grounding the ball right back towards her big brother.

Tony looked over at Don and shook his head incredulously. "She hits this next one and you're burning that recording."

"C'mon, man, we'll need it for the round of talk shows when she beats you to the Majors," Don teased him.

Tony rolled his eyes but could not help but laugh. In fact, as he told Katie to try again, it was with definite pride in his voice. He picked the ball up and gently threw her another underhanded pitch. This time she hit it down the first base line.

"I win!" she proclaimed, taking off towards first.

Don watched in amusement as the ball settled in the infield and Tony chased after his little sister, scooping her up in his arms as her zigzagging trail arrived at the base. He tickled her and she giggled in delight.

As Katie caught her breath and Antonio set her feet back on the ground, she looked up at him with bright eyes. "'gain!" she pleaded.

"Yeah? You want to hit again or do you want me to show you how to throw like Mussina?"

"Oh! I do that!" she agreed eagerly.

Tony shook his head. He took her hand and led her back towards home plate. As they neared Don, the teen said, "She wants to pitch. Agents make ten percent, right?"

"I believe it's negotiable," Don replied. "Why?"

"I'm thinkin' 'bout a career change."

When Noelle arrived home hours later, she quirked an eyebrow at the sound of some clanging noise coming from upstairs. She deposited her laptop in the kitchen and wandered up the stairs, quickly discovering the noise was emanating from Katie's bedroom. She found Don and Tony with a set of directions spread out on the floor amongst a sea of tools, Katie's crib in the midst of being converted into a bed.

"She escaped, didn't she?" Noli asked.

Don nodded. "Yeah, I forgot to mention it earlier."

"Where _is_ our little Houdini?"

"She's napping in our bed with Rocco. And I think you mean our little Mussina," Don corrected her.

Noelle tried to fight the smirk that threatened to cross her face, and lost the battle when she saw the expression that covered Tony's. "I take it the baseball lesson went well?"

"Depends on who you ask," Flack kidded.

"Hey, I'm okay with being shown up by my little sister considering she's gonna make me rich when the endorsements start pouring in," Tony explained with a grin.

"Tony's thinking of a career as a sports agent. Katie's going to be his first client," Don explained.

Noelle laughed, looking at her stepson. "Do Don and I get a cut? Considering neither of you know how to drive?"

Tony shrugged. "We can probably work something out. I'd have my people call your people, but you guys kinda are my people," he quipped.

Although it was meant as a joke, Don and Noelle both caught the undercurrent of the remark and shared a smile. Tony was where he belonged. Home. With his people. His real family.


	89. Shots

**A/N **I obviously own nothing related to CSI:NY, because if I did, I could buy a new laptop. Mine has caused nothing but problems lately! Anyway, I apologize for the delay. By the time I got my laptop back up and running, I had to return to work and have been too tired to write anything in the evenings. Alas, here, finally, is an update. There is plenty coming up for Don and Noelle so stay tuned!

**XXX**

Don walked down the stairs and glanced in the living room quickly before heading into the kitchen in search of his wife. He found her at the table, staring at the cordless phone she was holding in her hands. He furrowed his brow as he ran a hand through his damp hair. "I thought the whole point of us having twenty-four hours alone together was to actually be together. You get lost on the way up or something?"

She bit her lip as she looked up at him. "Sorry. The phone rang as soon as you got in the shower. Don, I just got the weirdest phone call."

"Weird like, 'duck and let me cover you while I go get my gun' weird? Or, 'Messer called with an update on Monroe's latest cravings' weird?"

"Weird like Elle Spencer-Carmichael's assistant calling me and summoning me to the illustrious VP's office for a meeting tomorrow to discuss my novel," she explained, her expression a little dazed.

"Whoa, back up. Who's this Elle person and what novel?"

"I think it's the novel I told Sarah Frewer I had sitting on my laptop."

Don walked over and sat down next to his wife at the table. "I'm gonna need some help here, 'cause you've barely had time to make your deadlines for the magazine lately let alone write a book, doll."

"I _haven't_ written one. I mean, there's maybe _half_ of a bad one sitting on my computer. I stopped working on it as soon as Katie came along. But when I was meeting with Sarah yesterday, she made a comment about me wasting my time just working on short stories, and that I should be writing books or screenplays. I told her she was crazy, of course, but then admitted I'd started a novel a long time ago. She asked what it was about, and I guess she liked the concept, because that's the only way Elle could have heard about it."

"All right then, back to my first question: who's this Elle chick?"

"Her father owns Spencer-Carmichael Publishing." Upon seeing his somewhat blank expression, she laughed softly. "Uh, the company that owns _Moda Bella_. Probably the second biggest publishing house in the city, if not the entire country. How do you not know these things?"

"I'm a homicide detective, sweetheart. Unless someone's been offed in the vicinity, I'm not exactly up on corporate events. But from what you're tellin' me here, this is big."

"Except I don't have a novel to meet with her about!"

"So it's a work in progress."

"Donnie, I wouldn't even show _you_ what I've got written right now. It's – it's amateurish. It's nothing more than a multi-page concept—"

"—which it sounds like this Elle person might be interested in you developing. C'mon, Noli. Sarah was right about one thing: you're way too good to be free-lancing short stories to some fashion magazine."

"You're my husband. You're obligated to say nice things like that," she scoffed.

"Aren't you the one who keeps telling me that for someone who deals with liars for a living, I suck at it myself?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Noli, come on. I read more than evidence reports and box scores. I know when something's well-written, and _you_ are a ridiculously talented writer. And I'm not just sayin' that 'cause I was hopin' to spend the rest of the day in bed with you, preferably involving some champagne body shots in light of these recent developments."

Noelle's cheeks reddened at the suggestion.

Don leaned over and captured her lips in a hot kiss. "This is a good, Noli. You should go to the meeting and hear this woman out. Tony's gonna be back in school in three weeks, I can keep Katie occupied when I'm home during the day…You should be writing. And I am more than happy to offer whatever inspiration you need." He nipped at her earlobe, then trailed kisses down her neck, smiling against her as she sighed.

"Champagne body shots?" she murmured just before he brought his lips crashing down on hers again.

**XXX**

Danny walked into one of the processing garages in the basement of the Crime Lab, pulling out a set of latex gloves from his coveralls as he spotted the Mercedes and headed across the cement floor. He furrowed his brow when he did not immediately spot his wife. However, as he walked around the vehicle, he could not help but smirk. "Uh, Montana, I am definitely not complaining about the view here, but what exactly are you doing?"

Lindsay was on her stomach, stretched out across the driver's seat as she felt blindly underneath the passenger seat. Her legs and butt were all Danny could see upon first glance. Hearing his comment, and knowing without even seeing his face that he was leering at her, she shimmied out of the car with a hint of a glare. "I was trying to reach _this_," she explained, holding up a .38 caliber revolver.

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Well, hello illegal firearm."

"I don't know anymore if Joseph was cocky or just plain stupid," Lindsay scoffed. "With a good defense attorney, he could raise reasonable doubt even with all of the stuff you guys found in his hotel room. It would be easy to argue that he had no idea there were drugs in those toner cartridges, or any drugs behind the paintings. I mean, we didn't lift any prints off anything that proves he put them there. But the car? I found cutting agents in the trunk as well as trace of both the black cocaine _and_ white powder I'm sure is going to match the drugs in the paintings."

A look of realization crossed Danny's face. "We found Rocco sittin' by his car."

Lindsay nodded. "Danny, who throws a revolver under a seat unless he's trying to hide it?"

He took the weapon from his wife. "There's a bullet missing," he commented after spinning around the chamber. "Why don't I take this upstairs and see if I can lift any prints or get a match to the bullets?"

"Okay. I'll finish up here."

He lifted his gaze then from the handgun he was holding to Lindsay. "How you doin'?"

"I'm fine. Maybe a little tired," she confessed.

"You need to tell Mac."

She sighed. "I know. I just…"

He looked at her pointedly. "You know how much I love you, Linds, but I'm puttin' my foot down this time. Talk to Mac by week's end, or I'll tell him myself."

Lindsay scowled at the ultimatum. "You're bossy."

"Nah, I'm overprotective and selfish. You should be used to it by now." He flashed her his trademark Messer half-smirk and headed back out.

Lindsay stood there for a moment, the faint trace of a smile crossing her own lips at her husband's concern, then she returned to the task of processing Joseph Alvarez' Mercedes.

Back in the corridors on the thirty-fifth floor, Danny headed into one of the labs, anxious to get to work on the revolver. They already knew that Joseph had not owned any registered handguns, so he knew they would at least be able to add the charge of possessing an illegal firearm to his list of offences if he could find his prints or any other trace on the gun tying it to him.

Hours later, Danny walked into his boss's office, not sure if he should feel triumphant or remorseful. "Joseph Alvarez ain't just a drug smuggler."

Mac glanced up from the paperwork that had monopolized most of his day. "What do you have?"

"Linds found a .38 while processing the car. Not only are his prints on both the gun _and _a partial on two of the bullets, but I got a hit to an open murder investigation dating three weeks back. This gun was used to kill Freddy Wilkins, some low-level drug dealer."

Mac narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall the case. "In Hell's Kitchen, if memory serves."

"Yep. I gotta tell ya, Mac, I'm likin' Alvarez for this."

The Marine sat back in his chair. "Thank God he didn't get Tony on that plane."

"Amen to that. I'll give Don a heads up after I call the D.A.'s office."

"Why don't you wait until tomorrow to get in touch with Flack?" Mac suggested. "When I was talking to him earlier, he mentioned that Tony and Katie were going to be with Noelle's parents tonight, so he's taking her out."

"Not a problem. I'll catch him on shift tomorrow."

Mac nodded. "Finish your report then get your wife and get out of here yourself. You two deserve a night alone, as well."

"Thanks, boss." Messer turned and started to leave. He had only gotten as far as the door when Mac called him back. He looked expectantly at the older CSI.

"Congratulations, by the way. Tell Lindsay to come see me tomorrow."

Danny furrowed his brow. "How did you…?"

A smile crossed Taylor's face. "I'm a damn good CSI, Danny. Besides, I've never seen anyone eat potato chips and chocolate ice cream together before."

At that, Messer could not help but chuckle. And with the grin that always came to his face when he thought of the child they had on the way, he took his leave and headed off to find his wife.

**XXX**

The sound of the ringing telephone pulled Don from the light sleep he had fallen into. He smiled as he got his bearings and found his wife tangled up with him in twisted sheets, then realized the phone was ringing. He reached over and grabbed the cordless handset off the bedside table and brought it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Daddy! I go fishing with G'ampa! An' we colour and Tony an' I pway baseball and G'amma say we have pa'cakes after I go sleep and I miss Wocco..."

Don chuckled softly at the sound of his daughter's out-of-breath rambling. "So, you're having a good time, cutie?"

Noelle roused beside him, lifting her head at her husband's question. "Katie?"

He nodded. "You want to tell Mommy about your adventures there, sweetie?" he asked into the phone.

"No, I have go now and wead with G'amma. Bye, Daddy!"

The phone clicked and a moment later, the dial tone reappeared. Don laughed. "We just got hung up on by a two and a half year old."

Noelle smiled in amusement.

"She couldn't talk to you because she's quite busy. But she wanted to fill us in on her day."

"I really hope Mom or Dad dialed the phone for her because if she's figured that out, too, we're in a lot of trouble."

The phone rang again. Glancing at the call display and seeing his in-laws' number, Don handed the phone to his wife. And while she spoke with her father about his day with the kids, Flack took to just gazing at the love of his life. Her pale skin and auburn hair, the way her eyes crinkled up when she laughed. Over a year into their relationship and she still took his breath away. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she was just as beautiful a person on the inside, too. She was fiercely loyal and protective of those she loved, an amazing mother, and she possessed the kind of compassion a cynical man like himself had nearly stopped believing could be found in the world. And because of a nearly-spilt drink in a bar, his life had completely changed in ways he had never imagined or even hoped for.

While Don had been taken with Noelle from the very beginning, the guy who walked into Sullivan's the night they met certainly would not have predicted that he would be married to her and sharing two kids just fourteen months later. His only regret was that he had not been able to keep all of the drama out of their lives the past few months. He wished his wife had never been threatened by the likes of Carlos Caravaggio or held at gunpoint by his psycho cousin, or that she had to spend one second fearing that Katie might be taken away from them. However, he had watched her deal with everything with a grace that he could not help but marvel at. And everything they had been through, including the last few weeks of worrying about Tony, had only strengthened them as a couple and brought their family closer. And while Joseph Alvarez was not completely out of their lives, things were definitely looking up.

Don hoped that Noelle's suspicions about the meeting that awaited her were correct. While their family would always be their top priority, Don got to make his living doing something he loved, and he wanted Noelle to have the same. His wife was definitely way too good at what she did to be a part-time contributor to a fashion magazine.

"What are you thinking about?" Noelle asked, interrupting his musings as she hung up the phone.

"Just that I'm a lucky guy."

"Hmm. Well, if that's how you feel, then that makes me a lucky girl." She leaned over and met his lips. "Katie and Tony are having a blast with my parents. I told Dad I'd pick them up after my meeting tomorrow since you're on day shift."

Don glanced a the clock on the bedside table. "So that gives us another twelve hours…"

"Any ideas on how we could pass the time?"

"I dunno. But there's still half a bottle of champagne…"


	90. New Directions

**A/N **Wow, 90 chapters! If only I could find so much inspiration with my non-fanfiction work, I might actually get my _own_ novel written LOL Thanks for everyone's continued support and encouragement. We are heading into a new story arc for Don and Noelle. Consider this chapter a bridge to the next part of the story. Enjoy!

**XXX**

Don stood in the doorway to the living room with a cup of coffee in his hands and just watched his daughter as she coloured at the play table in the corner, her entire being wrapped up in whatever it was she was creating on the page. She had a look of intense concentration on her face and he could not help but smile and think that she would make a good investigator one day. Her curls were pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, a skill Don still had not mastered, especially when his little girl refused to sit still long enough to let him do more than a half-assed job. Her denim overalls were already sporting spilt milk from her rushed and rather animated breakfast. Noelle would undoubtedly shake her head a little incredulously when she got home, but Don did not care. His daughter obviously had important things to get to and who was he to stand in the way of her creativity?

Katie glanced up from her art project and saw her daddy staring at her. She flashed him a big, toothy grin and a wave, then returned to the task at hand.

Don shook his head with a low chuckle and wandered back into the kitchen to pour himself another cup of coffee. It was just him and his little girl today and he would need all the caffeine he could get if he had any shot at keeping up with her.

The past couple months had been long, but he had watched as wounds had started to heal and new directions began to make themselves known. Tony was back to school, and had elected to transfer to the high school in the neighbourhood instead of going back to the city. His new friends were all here and he was looking for a fresh start. The news that his uncle was headed to trial for murder as well as several drug charges had been the last straw in their relationship. He had washed his hands of his uncle, refusing requests from Joseph for a chance to explain himself. As far as Tony was concerned, he was a Flack. He had become a respectful son, a protective big brother, and he had thrown himself head-first into his sophomore year. He had easily made the school baseball team, he was getting good grades, and Noelle was convinced there was even a new girl in the picture.

As for Noelle, she was now actively working on her first novel. Elle Spencer-Carmichael had apparently been following her work from the first piece she had submitted to _Moda Bella_ and had become an instant fan. When reader response began to echo her own instincts about the young writer's potential and Sarah Frewer uttered the magic words – "She told me she's working on a novel" – Elle had seen dollar signs for her father's publishing house. She had offered Noelle the kind of deal a new writer could only dream about. Noli would never have to worry about shopping around her book once it was written, or finding an agent with what little work she had in her portfolio. However, she took her time and was careful while considering the offer. She consulted with her brother who had years of negotiating contracts under his belt, having no idea if this was too good to be true – or not good enough. Mark made some calls, and once it appeared she would never be lucky enough to have her dream so closely within reach again, she and Don had then spent a couple days discussing how it would affect their family. When all was said and done, she had accepted the offer. She had been given one of the publisher's top editors to work with, and today she was in the city meeting with Jason Cartwright for the first time.

They had also welcomed a new addition to the family when Jennifer gave birth to her and Mark's second child, a son they named Riley. It felt like things were coming together for all of the Hansens and the Flacks.

"Daddy, I finish!" Katie announced, running full speed into the kitchen and thrusting her finished masterpiece into his hand.

Don took the piece of paper and studied the abstract work of art that he was decided was a toss-up between a dinosaur or her new baby cousin. "That's about the best lookin', uh – Yeah, it's beautiful, cutie. Why don't we put it on the refrigerator here and we can show it to Mommy and Tony when they get home?" he suggested. "You can tell 'em all about it, about how it's, well…what it is."

Katie grinned proudly.

Don ruffled her hair affectionately. He took the picture over to the fridge where he posted it with a magnet. "It's just you and your old man today, so what do you think we should do?" He knew there was probably a list of stuff he should do around the house, but it had been a while since he and Katie had an entire day together and he wanted to take advantage. He knew that before long, he would turn around and she would be in school and these days would just be distant memories. And with everything that had happened in the past year, these precious moments were not something he wanted to take for granted.

"We have ice cweam!" she replied excitedly.

"It's a little early in the day for ice cream, cutie. But how about the aquarium? We'll go check out the fish and the dolphins, _then_ we'll have some ice cream. How's that sound?"

Katie nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, let's go get you changed so we can go visit some sea creatures."

Don struggled to get his excited daughter into some clean clothes, then they headed out to the New York Aquarium at Coney Island. For a couple hours, he led the toddler around by the hand, pointing out creatures of all different sizes. Katie quickly became enamoured by the sea otters and was soon adamantly proclaiming that they should take one home so Rocco could have a friend. When Don explained that they couldn't because it needed to live in water, she suggested that it could sleep in the bathtub. He spent the next twenty minutes assuring her that Rocco was fine without a new sea-faring friend, and that the sea otters needed to stay together or they would be too sad. She finally seemed assuaged and they moved on to visit the sharks. Fortunately, she had no interest in having a shark living in their bathtub.

Once Katie tired of watching animals swimming around, he took her to the boardwalk for lunch. He bought her a hot dog at Nathan's, and watched in amusement as she enjoyed the treat. She then asked if they could go on the Ferris wheel or the carousel, and was disappointed to find out the midway was closed. He suggested that if the weather continued to be unseasonably warm throughout the rest of the fall, maybe they could come back some weekend with Mommy and Tony. This satisfied the demanding child, and she was soon reminding him that he had promised her ice cream. He fulfilled the request and marveled over how much like her mother she was turning out to be. There was definitely a point for "nurture" somewhere in the nature versus nurture argument.

Don decided that while they were out, he would run some errands. Katie followed him around through Lowe's while he picked up a couple items needed for the repairs at home. He then stopped in at a local flower shop, deciding to pick something up for Noelle to celebrate her first meeting with her editor.

"What should we get for Mommy?" Don asked his little girl.

Katie took in all the pretty flowers, but was soon pointing to some gerbera daisies.

Knowing they were some of Noelle's favourites, Don bought a bouquet or orange, red, and yellow gerberas and gave them to Katie to carry out to the car. He smiled at how carefully she handled the flowers, knowing they were a present for her mommy and how important it was to protect them.

By the time they arrived home, Katie was just about asleep. Don got her settled for a nap, put the flowers in a vase (knowing full well that his wife would rearrange them once she got home) then decided to start on some of the things he wanted to fix. He was just finishing up the repair of the track on the sliding closet doors in the master bedroom when he heard the front door open downstairs. A couple of minutes later, Noelle walked into the bedroom with a broad smile on her face.

Flack was putting away his vice grips and screwdriver when his wife appeared. He stood up with a smirk as she closed the door behind her. "A napping toddler _and_ flowers? A girl could get used to coming home to this," she kidded.

He flashed his dimpled grin. "Ah, ya know, I do what I can."

"Oh, trust me, I know." She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, leaning up and eagerly meeting his kiss.

After a few moments of kisses that by all rights should have set off the smoke detectors, he reluctantly pulled away. "Tony's gonna be home in like fifteen minutes. And she's been out for an hour. I think we're workin' against the clock, doll."

"You can be quick," she said huskily, drawing him back into a kiss.

"Four words no guy wants to hear," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes as she moved out of his arms. "Kill joy."

He reached out and pulled her back to him. He kissed her thoroughly, letting her know he was just being practical, not disinterested. However, within seconds, he was realizing that being practical was completely overrated. "I can be quick," he relented, slipping her sweater off her body with impressive ease.

Ten minutes later, they were both redressing, Noelle's face flushed and Don with a satisfied smile on his.

"Your meeting was good," he stated, discerning that its success was probably responsible for her mood.

"My meeting was great. Jason is…I don't know how to describe him. He's just brilliant. I mean, he's been in the business for a long time, and his instincts are right on. And it's like he knows where I'm going with my thoughts even before I do. If I had any doubts before that I could pull this off, I don't now," she explained with an enthusiasm he had not seen in her for quite a while.

Flack was happy for her. She had let him read the pages she was submitting to the editor before she had sent them the week before, and he knew they were good. _Her_ instincts were the ones that impressed him. She had incredible insight. He had told her in all seriousness that she would be a hell of a profiler. But she had laughed him off. Her first love was fiction. She loved weaving stories together, inventing the lives of her characters then letting them take on a life of their own. She worked very organically. She knew where she wanted to go, but not always how she was going to get there. With all of the drama outside of their lives finally having settled, she was able to let the drama play out on the page, and he loved watching the surprise on her face when she found herself going in a slightly different direction than she had planned and ending up in an even better place. But she had told him the basic outline of her book, and he knew it was going to be great. For him, though, the enjoyment was getting to be a part of the process, going along for the ride.

"I'm glad everything went well."

"I still can't believe this is happening," she admitted wistfully. "Jason seems to think we can be finished by spring. Do you realize what that means? I could have a book in the stores in less than a year! Isn't that incredible?"

He could not help but get caught up in her exuberance. He walked over to her and kissed her forehead lightly. "I'm really proud of you, No."

She looked up at him with an innocent smile on her face. "You are?"

"' course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just a book. It's not like I'm out there putting my life on the line like you do."

He looked at her a little incredulously. "You don't need to be risking your life for me to be proud, sweetheart. You took a hell of a chance, quitting a good job to follow your dream. You've got guts, and right along with it, this grace that just knocks me out. Smartest thing I ever did was marry you."

She grinned. "That definitely works both ways." She leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I love you, Don Flack, Jr."

"That's good to hear, 'cause see, not only do I got a temper, but I can be pretty damn stubborn. And I've got no intention of goin' anywhere."

"Well, I guess there are worse things to be than stuck with a sexy, ridiculously hot husband," she teased him.

Don leaned down and captured her lips in another searing kiss, inwardly wondering if it was still going to be like this fifty years from now. He sure as hell hoped so.

A pounding on the door separated the two with a laugh. No doubt their toddler had climbed out of bed and gone searching for her parents. Flack kissed the top of Noelle's head, then went to answer the knock. Opening the door, sure enough, there was Katie with a grin on her face. "I wake now," she announced.

Don chuckled. "I see that."

"Mommy!" Seeing her mother, she rushed into the bedroom and flung herself into Noelle's arms. "We got f'owers! And we see otters and s'arks and ducks and I had a hot dog and choc'late ice cweam!"

Noli picked her little girl up in her arms with an amused smile. "Wow, it sounds like you had a very busy day, sweetheart!"

"Oh, and I make you a picture of an air p'ane! Daddy put it on the fwidge."

"I thought it was a dinosaur," Don muttered.

Noelle laughed softly. "Why don't you take me to go see this picture? And we can look at the pretty flowers you and Daddy brought home."

"'k. And you wead me a story?" Katie requested.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan." She winked at her husband, then took Katie by her hand and led her downstairs.

Don returned to packing up the tools he'd had out to fix the closet door. For a moment, he stopped to realize exactly how domestic he had become. It was a little surreal. He had certainly not arrived here in the most conventional way. He had inherited a wife, a little girl and a teenager in the span of a year, but he knew he would not trade any of it for the world. His nights spent hanging out at Sullivan's, watching the game with the guys, might be gone, but having a family to come home to seemed like a pretty damn good trade off.


	91. Talk

Don Flack, Jr., at thirty-four, now understood what people meant when they talked about "having it all." He had a beautiful wife that he loved in a way he had never thought possible, two great kids, and a challenging, yet rewarding career. He might not own the biggest house on the block or drive the hottest car, but he loved his family and provided them with a comfortable life. His parents had instilled in him the belief that love for family, integrity, honesty, respect and hard work were to be valued above money and privilege, and he hoped that he and Noelle were passing those beliefs onto their children.

If there was any drawback to his life, it was the crazy hours he worked. Noelle was often the one left to get Tony up for school, help with homework, and entertain Katie. While her own job allowed her the flexibility to write whenever Katie was sleeping or occupying herself or Don was around to help, she was the one who really had to make sacrifices to keep their family going. She was essentially working two full-time jobs. Yet he had never heard her complain or let out a weary sigh.

So when the alarm went off just before seven and she did not stir as she normally did, Don reached over her and quickly shut it off. Despite having only crawled into bed a few hours earlier after his two-to-midnight shift had gone long, he kissed her temple and slid out of bed, pulling on his NYPD hoodie over his sweat pants and undershirt. He headed out into the hallway and knocked softly on Tony's door, chuckling at the barely audible grunt he got in response. He crossed the hall and gently opened Katie's door to find her still sleeping soundly, her thumb in her mouth and Rocco curled up at the end of her bed. The dog raised his head to see what the disturbance was, then quickly lowered it and closed his eyes once again.

Don closed the door, then jogged down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. He turned on the coffee maker before retrieving the paper from the front step.

Half an hour later, hearing Tony book it down the stairs, Don shook his head with a smile. He set his coffee cup down on the table. He walked over to the cupboard and retrieved a pop tart from the open box, then grabbed a banana from the bowl on the counter and walked out into the foyer. "You know, if you didn't hit the snooze button five times, you would probably have enough time to actually sit down and eat instead of inhaling your breakfast on the way to school," he pointed out, handing the food to his stepson.

Tony just shrugged, throwing a book into his backpack, then adding the pop tart and banana before zipping the bag up. "I have to meet Sonny before homeroom to review the practice problems for our math test today."

"Ah, that's right. You ready for the test?"

"Yeah, I guess. Noelle helped me study last night. She actually gets all this stuff."

Don chuckled. "Just don't ask for her to help you with any geography homework."

Tony nodded. "So, uh – We're gonna play some baseball after school, then is it okay if I go out for pizza or somethin' with the guys and stuff?"

Don considered only briefly before he agreed. "Shouldn't be a problem. You need some cash?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Flack smirked then, the expression on the teenager's face giving him away. "So, what's her name?"

Tony scoffed, trying to act all nonchalant. "What are you talking about?"

"Please. 'The guys and stuff'? I wasn't born yesterday."

Tony sighed. "Alyssa," he finally muttered.

"Yeah? She in one of your classes?"

"No. She just started hanging around practice."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "You got yourself a groupie, huh?" he teased him.

Tony rolled his eyes, pulling on his jacket before grabbing his baseball glove and hefting his backpack onto his shoulder. "I gotta go, Flack. Sonny's waiting."

"Sure. Just – Remember the rules, okay? And come right home after dinner. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. See ya."

Don watched Tony leave, and then headed upstairs with an amused smile. He remembered all too well what it was like to be fifteen and smitten with a girl. He could not also help feeling just a little bit proud of his stepson, who had turned out to be the star of the school's baseball team despite being a sophomore, and still had managed to keep his grades up. He knew that Noelle was going to get a kick out all of this, especially since she had guessed long ago there was a girl in the picture.

He walked into the master bedroom, surprised to find his wife still asleep. He walked over and sat down on his side of the bed, reaching over and brushing a hand against her cheek, her skin cool and soft. He furrowed his brow, a little concerned. She was usually a light sleeper, yet she had not roused at the sound of the alarm earlier, or at his return to the room. He hoped she was feeling okay and had not caught the flu they had suffered through with Katie the week before.

Hearing movements down the hall, Don left his sleeping wife and went to get Katie up and fed. Father and daughter were just finishing up their Cheerios when Noelle finally made her way down the stairs twenty minutes later, still looking half-asleep as she joined them in the kitchen.

"Mommy!" Katie greeted cheerily, her mouth full of cereal.

Noelle rolled her eyes as she leaned down and kissed the top of her little girl's head. "Morning, sweetheart. Hey," she greeted her husband. She kissed him quickly then gratefully headed for the coffee maker and some much needed caffeine.

"You all right, doll?" Don asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Sure. I'm sorry I overslept. You should have just woken me up. You must be operating on auto-pilot," she said apologetically.

"It's fine."

"I finish, Daddy!" Katie announced.

"Why don't you go upstairs and wash your hands and pick out something to wear and I'll come help you get dressed in a couple minutes, okay?" Don replied, getting up and lifting her down out of her booster seat.

"'k."

He watched his daughter run upstairs, and then turned back to his wife. "You really okay, No?"

She took a sip of her coffee, hesitating for a moment. Finally, she just shrugged a little. "I was up late writing. You know me, I'm a procrastinator. I was trying to finish the revisions Jason sent before our meeting this afternoon."

Something told him there was more. "That it?"

"You're off the clock, Detective, so stop with the interrogation. Now, you're operating on what, three, four hours? Why don't you go get some sleep?" she suggested. "My meeting's not 'til three."

"Yeah, all right." He walked over to her, leaning down and kissing her gently. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right babe?"

"Of course. Now go."

"I'll get Katie dressed and send her down." He kissed her forehead, then headed upstairs.

Left alone, Noelle set her coffee cup down and ran her fingers through her hair. She had just lied to her husband for the very first time.

**XXX**

Jason Cartwright, at thirty-eight, was ridiculously handsome, and at the top of his game. He was perhaps the most sought-after editor in the publishing business. Working with established authors was a necessity because of the "sure thing" factor. However, he truly thrived when he was challenged. And a true challenge was working with a new writer, helping to develop their raw talent. The pay off was seeing the look on their face the first time they saw their work bound with their name on the front and their picture on the back. And Jason not only had incredible instincts, but failure was not on option. If he chose to work with a new author, it was because he had a gut feeling that he or she would succeed, and he was going to ensure that it happened. Two years ago, he had accompanied one of those fortunate, chosen few to the Oscars to watch as the script based on her first novel won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Noelle Flack was now one of the chosen few. He had read some of her pieces, then the proposal for her novel, and he knew she was going places. As far as he was concerned, she had been wasting her talent for the last decade. She had been vague when he had questioned her about it. Fortunately, she was using her talent now, and brilliantly. She was one of the best up-and-comers he had ever worked with. Her writing was fresh and smart, sexy, and not the least bit pretentious. It was exactly how he would describe the woman herself. Except she also possessed a certain naiveté and humility despite her obvious strength and intelligence. It was an incredibly attractive combination.

Of course, Noelle Flack was also married. Jason usually did not consider that a deterrent, but this woman was _very_ married. When the topic of conversation was not her book, all she talked about was her husband and children. She would never stray, even for the world Jason could open up for her. He may love a challenge, but he didn't enjoy a lost cause.

When she walked into his office that afternoon for their meeting, he instantly noticed that she was not her usual, upbeat self. There was no preamble of, "You would not believe what Katie did this morning," no mention of her husband, and no bragging about her son's latest baseball victory. She was all business, only wanting to discuss her latest chapters and his suggested revisions. Yet, while they went over them, she was noticeably distracted.

"Listen, if this is a bad time…" Jason started.

Noelle looked across the table at him, her expression apologetically. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry."

"Is everything all right?"

She took a breath. "You sound like Don. Everything's fine. Now, in the fourth chapter, I'm not sure I was following your train of thought on some of the changes. Like here…"

They got back to the task at hand, and spent the next two hours working through the pages she had brought with her. Her head back in the game, they argued over some insignificant points, debated some more important ones, then discussed the direction she had planned for the next few chapters.

As she began to pack up the papers she had brought with her, Jason sat back in his chair. "Noelle, I have a feeling this may hit a nerve, but there is something else I wanted to mention."

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him expectantly. "What's that?"

"It's about Alexa's illness."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"I'm just thinking…Since it's such an integral part of her character, her motivation, maybe you should think about using something a little more conventional. You know, something more substantial, not so insignificant."

Noelle sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Excuse me? Insignificant?"

At her obvious defensiveness, Jason hesitated for a moment. "I apologize for the poor choice of words. What I mean –"

"Jason, you're my editor, and I value your suggestions and appreciate your guidance. But some things are not open for debate. This is one of them."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Noelle, this is a work of fiction. You can't make it so personal or you'll get torn to shreds down the road when the critics and everyone else starts picking it apart."

"I have my reasons for my choices."

"Personal reasons."

She hesitated. "Yes."

"Then go write a book on living with endometriosis. But if you want an audience for your _novel_ –"

"There are no surprises here, Jason. Everything was in my proposal. Elle approved it, you approved it. I'm not changing it. And if I were you, I'd do a little research before you start suggesting things are _insignificant_."

"I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just looking out for you and your book."

"And I appreciate it. But the problem is, our motivation is different. I write because I enjoy it, because I love weaving stories together. The fact that other people are going to read my work, yes, that excites me. But I'm not going to compromise my vision to give my work more commercial value, and that's _your_ motivation. But I can't do it."

"I can respect that. You just need to be prepared. As soon as this book is published, there's going to be press. Things can get personal. You need to consider just how much of yourself you're willing to expose."

"I have nothing to hide." She bit her lip, furrowing her brow. "It's funny. A couple weeks ago, I might have considered your suggestion. But I can't now." She just shook her head then and finished packing up her work and her laptop. "I have to get home. I told Tony I'd be around if he needed help with his history paper."

However, Noelle did not head straight home. Instead of heading east towards the 495, she headed southwest to the water. She stood on the shore and looked out towards Ellis Island. The early November wind was blowing and it felt like the first snowfall might not be that far off. When she realized her eyes were tearing, she blamed how cold it was out. But who was she really kidding? They were tears born of anger and frustration and, although she did not want to admit it, pain. She had been in denial for over a week now and as the day went on and she was slowly emerging from it, she wished she could just run back in and hide.

An hour later, she walked inside the house. Stripping off her coat and shoes, she just set her laptop case aside and wandered into the living room, having heard Don's and Katie's voices wafting into the entryway. She smiled as she found her daughter on Don's lap, listening intently as he read to her from one of her favourite Dr Seuss books, a content grin on her face. Noelle wondered if her husband would get a confession the next time he was in an interrogation room if the criminal across from him knew he could quote _One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish_ without a second thought.

"Hey, beautiful," Don greeted, abandoning the book for a moment. "How was your meeting?"

She shrugged. "We had a few differences of opinion. But it's fine. I'm gonna go start supper."

"Nah. Katie's eaten. Soon as Tony gets home, I'm takin' you out."

"He has a history paper…"

"It's not due 'til Friday. There'll be plenty of time for you to proofread it. So, we're gonna put Katie to bed so he can work on it, and I'm takin' you to that new bistro on Hillside."

"Don…"

He furrowed his brow. "You need to eat, doll. And we need to talk. There's something goin' on with you, there has been for a few days now, and we need to talk about it. So, why don't you go up and have a hot bath or something and just relax? Tony probably won't be home for another hour or so."

She saw the look on his face and knew better than to argue with him. "I love you."

Her tone just proved to Don that something was off. She sounded almost worried – and that worried him. "You know I love you, too."

She nodded.

Katie glanced from her father to her mother and grinned. "An' Katie an' Tony an' Wocco!"

Don and Noelle could not help but chuckle. "You got it, cutie," Don laughed, kissing his daughter's cheek. He looked up at his wife, but as he caught her eye, he could tell that they definitely had something to talk about.


	92. Denial

Don left Tony working on his history paper in the living room, and carried his little girl up the stairs and into her bedroom. "You wanna wear your Tigger pajamas or your Minnie Mouse ones?" he asked as he set her down on the bed.

"Minnie Mouse," she replied sleepily.

He retrieved her favourite set of PJ's from the dresser, and then got her ready for bed. By the time her teeth were brushed and he was tucking her in, she could barely keep her eyes open. He kissed her forehead, then side-stepped Rocco on his way out of the room. He closed her door gently, then rubbing a hand over his face a little wearily, he wandered down the hall and into the master bedroom.

Noelle had said she was going to go up and take a shower well over an hour before, so Don expected to find his wife putting the finishing touches on whatever outfit she had decided to wear for their dinner out. Instead, he found her curled up on their bed, sound asleep. Her breathing was even and deep, but her brow was creased. From the hardly peaceful expression on her face, he surmised that she was either having a bad dream, or she was in pain. And he suddenly felt like a crap detective for not putting everything together before now, when the signs had been staring him in the face for the past week. He realized it had been that long since they had last made love. He had blamed the string of two-to-midnights he had been working and their lack of real time together, but in retrospect, that had never been a problem before.

The ringing of the telephone pulled him from his reverie. Before he could cover the distance between where he was standing and the cordless handset on bedside table to keep the sound from waking his wife, the ringing stopped. He smirked to himself. No doubt Tony had instantly gone for the phone, expecting Alyssa to be on the line and not wanting to risk either of his parents talking to her. Flack left his sleeping wife be and quietly headed back downstairs.

Tony's voice wafted from the living room, but from the one-sided conversation, Don quickly realized it was not a girl he was speaking to. He was discussing how badly the Rangers had massacred the Leafs the night before, and then a reference to them catching a game made Don realize it was Mark on the line. He walked into the room, making his presence known.

"Ah, Flack's here. … Yeah, sure. Talk to you later," Tony said, handing the phone to his stepfather. "It's Mark."

Don nodded, taking the handset. Before bringing it to his ear, he said, "Change of plans. Me and No ain't goin' out. I'll keep an ear out for Katie if you want to go finish your homework."

"Oh, okay. In that case, I'm gonna go work in my room."

While Tony packed up his books, Don headed across the entryway and went into the kitchen, greeting his brother-in-law on the phone. "Hey. You callin' to talk to Noelle?"

"Yeah. Jennie said when they were chatting yesterday, she didn't sound quite like herself. I was just callin' to check up on her," Mark explained.

Flack sat down at the kitchen table, laying an elbow on the edge and resting his head in his hand. "She's asleep. I was gonna take her out to dinner but she must've passed out when she went upstairs to get ready."

"She catch Katie's flu?"

"No, it's not the flu. I, uh – I think her endometriosis is back."

Noelle's brother did not say anything. The lack of an immediate uttering of "that's impossible" told Don that his brother-in-law was not completely surprised. Instead, Mark let out a heavy sigh.

"She hasn't said anything, but – It explains a lot. She always been so damn stoic?" Don asked then.

"You mean stubborn?" Mark laughed, and Don could picture him rolling his eyes.

"She is that. And strong. I just wish she didn't always think she had to be." He hesitated for a moment. "When we first got together and she told me about everything she'd had dealt with, I did some research. And I've seen some crazy, weird-ass stuff on the streets, man, but reading about what the disease could do to a woman, and knowing that that's exactly what she had suffered through…The thought of this touching her again…"

"Unfortunately, we knew it was a possibility."

"Doesn't make it any easier to take."

"No's always said that God doesn't give us anymore than we can handle. 'Course, she used to joke that she wished He didn't trust her with so much."

A weary smile crossed Don's face. "Yeah, that's my girl."

"But this time, if that's what it really is, she's got you. And she's got Katie and Tony. It'll just be about the disease and not about what she's afraid she'll never have because of it," Mark explained. "Just – Don, tread lightly. My sister dealt with this for eight years on her own. Old habits die hard, you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I hear you. Thanks, man."

"Take care a-my sister, huh? And call us if either of you need anything."

"Sure thing. I'll tell Noli you called. Bye." Don disconnected the call with a sigh.

For what seemed like an eternity, Flack remained at the kitchen table, lost in his thoughts. He hated the thought of his wife being in pain. He also could not understand why she had not said anything to him. They did not keep secrets. But as he replayed the last week in his mind, he was pretty sure she had been living with this at least that long. Not only had they not made love, but she had been quiet, a little distant. He had blamed his afternoon shifts on that, too. She had been forced to pick up the slack around the house, which had included a two-and-a-half year old with the flu, while also keeping up with her deadlines for _Moda Bella_ and her book. Noelle would be pissed off if she thought the word martyr traveled through his mind even fleetingly.

Don stood and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of beer. He grabbed the bottle opener from the side of the fridge and popped the top off his drink, then he walked across the hall to the living room and slumped down on the couch. He downed half of the bottle before closing his eyes and resting his head back. He was a detective. He dealt with facts and evidence. He was well-read outside the job, but he still did not get all of the science stuff. He let the CSI's stand in the morgue and listen to Sid discuss TOD and COD based on liver temps and petechial hemorrhaging and all of those other big medical words that made no sense to him. But he could quote chapter and verse on endometriosis. Though Noelle had undergone the hysterectomy before they even met, he had still had an interest in the disease because it was a part of her history. He had done a lot of research, in part because his wife did not like to talk about it. And the more reading he did, the more he discovered that the cure she had made the heart-wrenching and life-changing decision to subject herself to was not, in fact, always a cure. Fortunately, she had seemed to do very well after the surgery. She still had check-ups with her specialist every six months, but for her the appointments were mere formalities anymore. Now it appeared things had changed.

"Don?"

**XXX**

Noelle was sleeping fitfully, her dreams veering towards her worst nightmare. Finally, she bolted up in the bed she shared with Don, bathed in a cold layer of sweat. It took her a minute to get her bearings. The room was dark, but when she glanced at the bedside clock, she realized it was only 8:52. She furrowed her brow, trying to recall how she had ended up here. Waking up fully and becoming conscious of her body, feeling the pain tugging at her lower abdomen, she remembered. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "Son-of-a-bitch," she swore softly.

Running a hand through her now tousled hair, she remembered what she had first come upstairs for. Don wanted to take her out for dinner. He wanted to talk. Right now, that was the last thing she wanted to do. She did not want to talk, because that meant acknowledging that something was wrong, and she was quite happy living in denial. It was a familiar place for her, someplace she felt comfortable. Having a husband to whom she owed it to be honest and forthright was still foreign.

She had no idea how Don was going to react and that terrified her. She had as much as told him that this was something he would never have to deal with. And so he had not signed up for this – he had walked into this thinking it was all over with. So, what if it was more than he could handle? What if he had no interest in hanging around if this was the hand he was dealt? Isn't that why she had spent eight years refusing the advances of interested men? Because she never wanted to know the answers to those questions.

Noelle eased herself up and slid off the bed. She freshened up in the en suite, wondering momentarily if there was any way to put this off. She could just crawl back into bed, feign sleep if Don came up and it had not yet overtaken her once again. It would at least buy her one more night. But then it would be like lying to him and when she had done that this morning, telling him everything was fine – that _she_ was fine – it had torn at her. The guilt had eaten at her all day, yet here she was now, debating over ways to avoid him. She rolled her eyes at the absurd circle her mind was going in. And finally, she headed downstairs.

She found Don sitting on the couch in the living room, a half-empty bottle of beer resting on his thigh, his expression suggesting his mind was a million miles away. Was it a case he was thinking about? The city's latest homicide, something so gruesome he could not just leave it behind at 1 Police Plaza? Or was it her? Them? Was he lamenting something?

"_Do you have any idea how loved you make me feel?"_

"_I hope you'll always feel that way with me."_

_She smiled a little shyly._

"_You still waiting for that other shoe to drop, aren't you?"_

"_I'm trying not to."_

"_Trust this, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you. You and Katie, you're my life now. You're the most important things in the world to me."_

"_And I believe you, so I don't know why this is so hard for me."_

_He kissed her temple. "Tell me what I can do."_

"_No, Don, this is mine. You shouldn't have to reassure me." She glanced up at him. "I think it's just because it's been a bit of a whirlwind. Sometimes it just all feels a little surreal. When you've been waiting your whole life for something, but had yourself convinced that it was just never going to happen, it's a little hard to believe when it actually does."_

_He stroked her back gently, quiet in contemplation for a moment. "We're on opposite sides on that one, I guess. I mean, I didn't even know I wanted this."_

_She smirked then. "So, I guess it's me who should worry about you running away screaming when you finally realize what you've gotten yourself into."_

"_Ah, not a chance, sweetheart. You're stuck with me."_

She stood there, her feet glued to the floor just inside the room, for what felt like years. She tried more than once to find her voice. And finally, she did, just enough to utter his name: "Don?"


	93. Ease Her Pain

"Don?"

Flack escaped his reverie at the sound of his wife's voice. He offered her a small grin and held out his hand to her.

Noelle took a breath, then walked over and interlaced her fingers with his, her hand swimming in his much larger one as she sat down next to him on the couch. She curled up into his side, closing her eyes as she felt him kiss the top of her head.

"Mark called."

"Everything okay?"

Don chuckled a little incredulously. It was just like her to be worried about everybody else. "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. He was calling to check up on _you_."

She bit her lip as she glanced up at him and noticed him quirk an eyebrow. She sighed then and sunk back against his side. She looked down at their intertwined hands, willing some of the strength she felt just by his touch to fill her up.

"I'd like to think that you believe by now that I have no intention of ever leavin' you," Don said, his words startling her.

She nodded slowly against him.

"Then why didn't trust me enough to say something sooner?"

Her eyes shot back up to meet his, and seeing a flash of hurt on his face brought back the guilt she had been feeling. "Donnie…"

"Jesus, Noli. I mean, it's been goin' on for over a week, right? Were you planning on ever talkin' to me?" His voice had raised a little, more so than he had intended. But when he saw the stricken look on her face, he instantly felt horrible.

However, Noelle was already up on her feet, tears spilling down over her cheeks as she muttered a barely audible apology.

Don ran his hands over his face, wishing he knew how to fix all of this. That was what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to fix things, make things better. His job was about exacting justice. But there was no justice in any of this. He released an almost frustrated groan, then stood up and walked over to his wife, who had taken to looking out the front window, her back to him. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. Seeing the tears streaking down her face caused his own eyes to burn. He tipped her chin up so she was forced to look at him. "Baby I'm not angry. I'm – It just kills me to know that you've been dealing with this on your own. You've got a strong set of shoulders No, but see, you're not supposed to be carrying everything by yourself anymore."

"You didn't sign up for this," she replied softly.

"I signed up to spend the rest of my life with a woman who managed to turn me inside out in record time, and that hasn't changed. But does anyone really know what they're getting into? I don't exactly remember you signing up to be stalked by a psycho mobster then held at gunpoint by his sociopathic cousin."

Noelle looked at him incredulously. "The Caravaggios were not your fault, Don."

"And, baby, this isn't yours. Now I admit I wasn't paying close attention during our wedding vows 'cause you looked so damn beautiful, but I'm pretty sure there was something in there about 'in sickness and in health.' So please just let me in, here." He wiped away the remnants of her tears, then leaned down and kissed her gently.

Noelle's hands went to his chest, but not to push him away. She fisted his shirt, pulling him closer, deepening what she knew he had only intended to be a brief kiss. She felt his hands move through her hair, then settle on the back of her head to keep her close.

Don was the one that finally broke the kiss. Though oxygen was a necessity, he would have forgone it as long as possible if he had not believed that what they really needed right now was to talk. He found himself almost smirking then as he realized how mature that was. "C'mere…" He took her hand and led her back over to the couch. They sat down together and he drew her legs over his lap, his right hand moving to stroke her face as he looked at her seriously. "We've got nothing stronger than aspirin in the house, so how bad have you really been feeling?"

She took his free hand in both of hers, her gaze fixed on his long fingers for a moment. "It's bad."

"You called the doctor yet?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Nol…"

She finally lifted her eyes to meet his piercing blue ones. "As soon as I go, it makes it real."

"I know, babe. But this _is_ real. So we need to deal with it, whatever that means." He ran his thumb over her hand. "But you don't have to do this alone. And I know that probably sounds pretty hollow considering you're the one sitting there in pain and all I can really do is hold your hand, but I happen to really love holding your hand."

She smiled at that. But then she took a deep breath, her expression sobering. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Honestly, the first few days, I just thought it was some aberration that was just going to go away, and I didn't want to worry you. And when I realized it wasn't going away…" She trailed off, her brow furrowing.

"I know you don't want this to be happening. And if I could pull my gun on someone to make it go away, you know I'd do it. But since I can't make it go away, you need to tell me what to do for you here."

Noelle scooted closer so she was sitting on his lap and when she felt his arms slip around her, she sunk into them. "Just do this."

He kissed the top of her head. "That I can do. As long as you need." Holding her in the quiet, all he could hear was her breathing, and all he could feel was her heart beating against his own chest. But before too much time had passed, he felt her tremble slightly. In response, he simply reached over and grabbed his cell phone from the end table.

"What are you doing?" Noelle asked.

"There's no glory in being a martyr, doll. I'm callin' Hawkes. He's still a licensed M.D., which means he can write you a prescription for something that might actually help." When she went to protest, he stopped her. "This is something I can do. For once, my connections might actually help you out. So will you just let me do this?"

She sighed. They were going to need to be honest with Sheldon if they expected him to write a script for any kind of pain medication, and that meant sharing this with someone outside of the two of them. She was not sure she was ready to do that. But the look on Don's face told her that one way or another, he was going to get his way, so she decided to save her breath – and what energy she had – and let him make the call.

Less than an hour later, Sheldon – who had been hanging out at home watching the Islanders game on a rare night off – was at their front door. Don roused his wife, who had dozed off on the couch, and muted the same game on the TV before he went to answer the door. He greeted Hawkes with a grateful handshake and ushered him inside.

"I'm so sorry we dragged you all the way out here at this hour," Noelle apologized as Sheldon walked into the living room with Flack at his heels.

"Hey, it's no trouble," Hawkes assured her. "How're you doing?"

Don had explained everything to Sheldon over the phone, yet the conversation had been brief. From hearing Don's side, it was obvious to Noelle that the two had previously discussed her history. That did not bother her. She had always been very open about having endometriosis from soon after she had been diagnosed and realized it was something that was going to be a significant part of her life for a long time to come. But having to now discuss it as a current reality – that was something she was having a hard time with.

"Not so great," she admitted quietly.

"I was going to call a prescription in for you, but I wasn't sure what you've tried before. Besides, I'm sure you're aware that some drugs can't just be called into a pharmacy," he explained.

She nodded.

Sheldon sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "What did you used to take?"

"Uh, Tylenol 3's for years, until the last couple, then I was on Oxycocet."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows.

Don might not know much about science and medicine, but he had been a cop long enough and arrested enough dealers in his time to know Oxy was about the strongest narcotic a person could legally get their hands on. Sitting in the armchair, his hands unconsciously clenched when he thought about the kind of pain his wife had experienced.

"It was a constant eight or nine at that point," Noelle continued, seeing the expression on the faces of both men. "I had no life outside of work because of the pain and how the drugs made me feel. It's why I finally opted for the hysterectomy."

"Is the pain you're having now at that level?" Sheldon inquired with concern.

"No. But it's – It's more than some cramping. It's gotten pretty bad in just a matter of days." She bit her lip, hesitantly looking over at her husband. The worried expression on his face made her wish even more that none of this was happening.

"Okay. I'll write you a script for thirty T3's. If you can't get in to see your specialist before you run out, or if they're not cutting it, don't hesitate to call me. We'll try something else." Sheldon wrote her the prescription and set it on the coffee table, then reached over and took her hand. "Don't try being brave here, all right? Take the medication if you need it. But call your doctor. I'm not up on what treatments are available now, but I'm sure a lot's changed in three years."

She nodded slowly.

"You having any other symptoms?"

"No, but after the hysterectomy, there's really not much chance for anything other than the pain, is there?"

"I wouldn't think so, but this isn't my field of expertise."

"That was really my worst complaint before, anyway. I never had the heavy bleeding or anything."

"I'm sure your doctor's good, but if after seeing her, you want a second opinion or anything, let me know and I'll get you some names. I've still got some contacts."

"Thank you, Shel. I, uh – I appreciate…this."

He nodded with a reassuring smile. "Anytime. I'll check in with you in a couple days. In the meantime, I'm serious when I tell you not to hesitate to call if you need anything."

Noelle accepted a hug and thanked him again, then lay back down while Don walked back out into the entryway with Hawkes.

"Thanks for comin' out here and everything. I wasn't sure what else I could do for her," Don explained quietly.

"I'm happy to help." Sheldon slipped on his jacket, and then studied Don for a moment, recognizing the pensive look on the homicide detective's face. "What is it?"

"It's not good, is it? That it's gotten this bad already?"

"Look, Don, I'm no expert when it comes to endometriosis. My experience is limited to the girls who came into the ER when the pain got too bad and they couldn't get in to their doctors, and stopped at offering a shot of Demerol. And it's only from a couple of those experiences that I know there can be problems even after a hysterectomy. So my best advice? Keep her comfortable, but get her an appointment with her specialist as soon as you can."

Don nodded solemnly. "Listen, can you just keep this between us for now? I want it to be Noelle's call who she talks to and when."

"Of course. Goes without saying, man. But now, as your friend, if _you_ need to talk or anything, you've got my number. I'll be in touch. Goodnight."

Don saw Sheldon out, then returned to the living room. He retrieved the prescription from the coffee table. "I'm going to run over to the pharmacy and get this filled. You need anything else, doll?"

"It can wait until tomorrow, Donnie. It's late…"

"Nah, it'll take fifteen minutes. I'll feel better knowing you're at least a little more comfortable, all right?"

She furrowed her brow a little. "I'm sorry about all of this."

Flack sat down on the edge of the couch beside where she had stretched herself out. "You gotta quit apologizin', babe, 'cause you've got nothin' to be sorry about. Look, tomorrow, we'll call the doctor and get you an appointment so we can find out what we're up against. In the meantime, remember that you got me, okay? And ya gotta be honest with me."

She nodded.

"And if we need to, we call our parents or one of our brothers or sisters to watch Katie. But promise me you're not gonna push yourself because you don't want to worry anyone."

She rolled her eyes a little at his persistence, but seeing that he was not backing down, she agreed.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"You're pretty great. You know that, right?"

Don flashed his dimpled grin. "Yeah, well, I happen to be crazy about you."

"The feeling is definitely mutual." She sat up and slid her arms around his neck, drawing him close. She leaned up and met his lips again, this time in a long, lingering kiss. "I love you."

"Right back at ya." He kissed her nose, then went to head out.

"Donnie?"

"Yeah?"

"Just in case this fawning all over me is short-lived, you mind picking me up a chocolate bar, too?"

He chuckled softly. "All right. Chocolate. I think I can manage that. Anything else?"

"I'm not gonna push it. Besides, all I really want, is you back, safe and sound, and next to me in bed."

"_That_ I can definitely manage."

Noelle waited until she heard the front door close, then she laid back down on the couch with a weighty sigh. Don was being truly wonderful, and she really should not have expected anything less. However, she could not help the knot that still existed in her stomach. If there was one thing that bothered her husband, it was situations which were beyond his control, and this was one thing he was going to have absolutely no control over.


	94. Holding Hands

"The bastard's lying," Don growled as he and Mac walked out of one of the interrogation rooms early in the afternoon, after – as near as Flack could tell – wasting the past two hours.

"He's definitely got something to hide," Mac agreed. "However, I'm not totally convinced that he's our killer. Stella and I will go back over the evidence, see if we can find some holes in his story to bring him back in."

Don nodded grudgingly. He then felt some of the tension leave his body as they entered the pit and he spotted his wife standing next to his desk. Katie was perched on its edge, talking to her mother in her usual animated fashion, a bright smile on her face and her cheeks still red from the cold, autumn wind outside.

"Uncle Mac!" the little girl greeted excitedly when she noticed the two detectives. She jumped down off the desk before Noelle could stop her and ran over to the CSI.

Mac scooped her up in his arms with a chuckle. "Hi there, Katie! This is a wonderful surprise!"

"I s'pose go see G'amma and G'ampa, but G'ampa's sick," she explained.

Don caught his wife's eye and saw her nod, accounting for the unexpected presence of their daughter.

"That's not very good, is it?" Mac humoured the two and a half year old.

As she launched into a story and had Mac's rapt attention, Don walked over and put his arm around his wife. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?"

She shrugged. "Tired, more than anything. And a little nervous."

"A couple hours, and hopefully we'll at least have some answers." He leaned over and kissed her temple. "Dad's sick?"

"Yeah. He seems to have caught that flu that's been going around. I couldn't get a hold of my folks or your sister, and Katie's gone with me before, so I figured we can just take her with us."

"She's welcome to stay here," the former Marine offered quickly upon overhearing the dilemma.

"That's really sweet, Mac, but she'll just be under foot," Noelle argued.

"Ah, it's no problem. Lindsay's confined to the Lab, so if I get called away, she will be around to watch her. It's no trouble, really. Would you like to spend the afternoon here, Katie?"

The little girl nodded with wide eyes, always happy to hang around the Crime Lab.

Noelle laughed softly at her daughter's excitement. "If you're sure you don't mind, that would be great. Katie, do you promise to listen to Uncle Mac and do whatever he says?"

"I pwomise, Mommy."

"Thanks a lot, Mac," Don said appreciatively. "We shouldn't be more than a couple hours."

"No rush. Come on, Katie. Let's go see what kind of trouble we can find, shall we?"

Katie giggled and waved goodbye to her parents as Mac carried her off towards the lobby, already anticipating the fun afternoon she was going to have. "We see Aunt 'Tella?" she asked as Mac pushed the up button.

"You read my mind. She should be up in the Trace Lab. Why don't we go there first?" he suggested.

The little girl nodded. "And I play with Adam, too? He's funny."

Mac smirked. "We'll see. Adam tends to get himself into trouble whenever you're around. Although after printing and swabbing you, there's probably not much he can do."

Katie quirked an eyebrow, not quite following her honourary uncle's logic. Finally, she just decided that he needed to know about her play date with her cousin the previous weekend and she started rambling while he continued their journey to the thirty-fifth floor. She was still chattering on when she and Mac arrived in the Trace Lab. Seeing Stella bent over a microscope, her smile widened. "Aunt 'Tella!"

Stella glanced up and smiled at the sight of Katie in Mac's arms. "Well, hello there, you two!"

"I s'pose go to G'ampa's but he's sick and Mommy and Daddy have go 'way so Uncle Mac say I stay here," the two-and-a-half year old explained without taking a breath.

Stella met Mac's eyes and shared a bemused smile with him before returning her attention to Don and Noelle's little girl. "Well, I am very happy you came to spend some time with us."

Katie looked at the microscope. "What's that?"

"That, my dear, is a microscope. It makes things look bigger. Would you like to see?"

Her eyes got as big as saucers at the prospect.

Stella set up a slide for Katie to look at, then took her from Mac and set her on the edge of the evidence counter. She showed her how to look into the microscope, and then adjusted the focus until the little girl said she could see something.

"Pwetty!" she announced as she looked back up at the two CSI's.

While Katie went to look in the microscope again, Mac filled Stella in on the fruitless interrogation he and Don had endured with the only suspect they had so far in their most recent case. Seeing the frustrated look on his face, she reached over and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. "We'll find something," she assured him. "I'll go back down and look at the car again as soon as I'm done here."

Katie looked up from the microscope and noticed Stella's hand in Mac's and grinned. She had seen her daddy hold her mommy's hand like that a lot lately.

**XXX**

Don felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. Seeing an email from Lindsay with some information on a case, he quickly opened the attachment and read it through, then forwarded a response. Meanwhile, Noelle was sitting in the chair beside him in the waiting room, absentmindedly flipping through the latest issue of _Moda Bella_. As soon as he put his phone away, Flack reached over and laid his hand on his wife's knee. She stopped leafing through the pages of the magazine she had already read a million times over and leaned her head against her husband's shoulder.

"I'm thinking we should go away for a few days. Leave the kids with my folks or yours, you know, take off somewhere. We could go to Montauk or some cabin in the mountains, maybe even AC. What d'ya think?" Don proposed, his voice low so as not to disturb the other waiting patients.

She put her hand over his and intertwined their fingers on her knee. "I think you're trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

She looked up at him with a smile. "Yes. But a cabin in the mountains? My idea of roughing it is a three star, remember?"

He flashed his dimples. "So, maybe a B&B in Vermont or something. I got nothin' against room service and staying in a warm, king-sized bed for three or four days."

Noelle rolled her eyes. "I'm sure." She laid her head back down on his shoulder with a sigh.

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "Whatever we hear in there, it'll be okay, babe."

"I know," she whispered, though her tone betrayed her own doubt.

**XXX**

"Adam!"

"Hey, squirt!" Adam greeted Katie as she walked into the A/V Lab, practically pulling Stella along with her. "What're you doing here?"

"Don and Noelle had some kind of appointment, so Mac said he'd watch her. But he just got called down to Bowery's office and I've got to get back to the garage to look over the vic's car again. Can you watch her until Mac get back?" Stella requested.

"Sure, no problem."

"Did you get anything from the surveillance video?"

He shook his head apologetically. "Not yet, but I'll keep looking."

Stella ruffled Katie's hair then. "Adam will take good care of you, sweetie, and Mac will be back soon."

"'k, Aunt 'Tella. I be good."

"I know you will, sweetheart. I'll see you guys later."

Adam watched Stella leave, then lifted Katie up onto his lap. "All right, munchkin. You want to watch some surveillance footage with me?"

She shrugged, not knowing exactly what that meant, but enjoying watching all of the people walking by on the big monitors. She glanced up at Adam every once and a while to catch his often confounded and frustrated expression at not finding what he was looking for. After a while, she reached up and put her hands on either side of his face. "It okay," she assured him.

He could not help but chuckle at her innocent reassurance.

"Uncle Mac loves Aunt 'Tella!" she announced then. "He hold her hand like Daddy does with Mommy!"

Adam quirked a perplexed eyebrow. "What are you talkin' about, squirt?"

She just shrugged and turned her gaze back to the LCD monitors. A couple of minutes later, she pointed to the screen on the left. "That man funny!"

Adam looked up to see what she was pointing at. Sure enough, there was a man dressed in a long, dark coat and sunglasses darting suspiciously through the crowd of people outside where the latest homicide had occurred. Adam stopped the tape and zoomed in on the image to see if he could make any kind of identification. Meanwhile, he ruffled Katie's hair. "You really are some kind of genius, aren't ya, kid?"

"I go see Aunt Lindy now?"

**XXX**

Don glanced over at his wife sitting in the passenger seat of their SUV and furrowed his eyebrows. She had not said anything since they had left her doctor's office. "Nol?"

Noelle did not respond, completely lost in her thoughts. The doctor had not told her anything she was not expecting. They would run some tests to rule out any other causes, but from the symptoms Noelle described, it appeared the endometriosis had in fact returned. If no other cause could be found, the best course of treatment would be surgery, the same procedure she had had three times before the hysterectomy. In the meantime, the focus would be on pain management. It was an all-too-familiar routine

Despite having a pretty good idea about what was coming, Noli felt unprepared and overwhelmed. She had really thought she would never have to deal with this again, and spending half an hour in her doctor's office had just driven it home that this was her reality once more. And the worst part was that the doctor was not able to provide any kind of guarantee that it would not keep coming back. Sheldon's suggestion that things had changed in three years had been just wishful thinking.

Of course, her mind kept taking her to the what if's, and now she was second guessing every decision she had made before when it came to her health. Had she given up any chance she'd had to have a baby for nothing? How could that thought not cross Don's mind? And once it had, would he resent her for it? That is what scared her the most.

"Noli…"

This time she heard him. She glanced over at her husband who was watching her intently as they stopped at a red light. "Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Would you believe me if I said yes?"

He shook his head with a pointed look. A honk behind him alerted him to the fact that the light had turned green. Though he turned his attention back to the road, he said, "I know this is a lot to take. But don't start shuttin' me out."

"There's nothing to talk about, Don. I already know the ultrasound will come back normal and nothing's going to show up in the lab work. I've been here before. And I really don't want to think about it right now. Let's just go get Katie and go home. Please?"

"Yeah. Sure. Just – You know I love you, right?"

She smiled sadly with a nod as he quickly looked over at her. "I know."

**XXX**

"An' then I go swimming and G'ampa Jack say we go fishing in the summer an' Tony has friend name 'Lyssa and he's silly, and Uncle Mac loves Aunt 'Tella…"

Lindsay had been focused more on the reports she was trying to finish than on Katie's rambling as the little girl coloured at Danny's desk, but her head shot up at the last admission. "What did you say, sweetie?"

Katie grinned. "Uncle Mac loves Aunt 'Tella. He hold her hand like Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"You _saw _him hold her hand?"

The little girl nodded.

"When, honey?"

"When Uncle Mac bwought me. I got to look in the micwoscope! It was pwetty. I wanna show Wocco the micwoscope, 'k? Can I bwing Wocco to visit, too?"

"Oh, I don't know, sweetheart. Are you _sure_ you saw Mac holding Stella's hand?"

"I sure, Aunt Lindy! Can I go play in Uncle Mac's office?"

"I think he's still with the Chief, Katie. But how about we go get you some apple juice?"

Katie nodded. "Yes, pwease."

"Okay, honey, we'll go see if we can find some." Lindsay eased herself out of her chair, looking every day of her seven months of pregnancy, and held out her hand for Katie.

The little girl jumped down out of Danny's chair and took Lindsay's hand, then followed her down the maze of corridors to the break room.

Lindsay found a bottle of apple juice in the fridge for Katie, and got herself some water, the little girl's confession still intriguing her. Mac and Stella had been dancing around each other _forever_. Could it really be that they had finally given in? She had to find out for herself. Confined now as she was to the Lab, what else did she have to do than to investigate this mystery?

They were on their way back to Danny and Lindsay's office when the Don and Noelle stepped off the elevator, hand-in-hand.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Katie greeted. She ran over to her father, holding her arms out for him to pick her up.

Don released Noelle's hand and scooped his daughter up into his arms. "Hey there, cutie. Did you have a good time?"

She nodded exuberantly. "I see Uncle Mac and Aunt 'Tella and Adam and Aunt Lindy. I look in a micwoscope. Can we get a micwoscope, too?"

"Our little lab rat," Noelle smiled.

"We'll have to see about that one," Don replied. "What else did you do?"

As Katie filled Don in, Lindsay pulled Noelle aside. "You called it with Mac and Stella. Katie saw them holding hands."

Noli quirked an eyebrow. "Really? But it's Katie. She's got this crazy imagination. And even if she didn't imagine it, it could have been something completely innocent. Some kind of reconstruction for a case or –"

"No, Uncle Mac loves Aunt 'Tella!" Katie insisted, overhearing her mother.

"Found out by a two and a half year old."

The adults all turned to the source of the voice – Mac.


	95. Alienation

There was a moment of complete silence in the Crime Lab's corridor. Mac stood there, his eyebrows slightly raised as if he was awaiting an onslaught of questions. However, Don, Noelle and Lindsay all remained quiet, a little stunned, wondering if the older detective's comment and then the failure to otherwise deny Katie's insistent statement was an admission in itself. Finally, Mac moved his gaze to Katie, still in her father's arms. "I think you should come work for me, sweetheart. You've got better investigative skills than most of my team, don't you?"

Katie grinned proudly.

"Although, I guess you should finish kindergarten first. HR will probably demand preschool at the very least." He reached over and ruffled her hair and fired off a wink, then continued on his path to his office.

"There is _no_ way Mac and Stella are together," Don scoffed once he was out of earshot. "Do you have any idea how many crime scenes I've worked with them lately? I'd have noticed if there was something going on."

"Daddy's clueless about some things," Noelle said to Katie. "Now, since he's not _my_ boss, I'm allowed to be nosey." With that, she followed Taylor down the hall and walked right into his office with barely a knock on the glass as she opened the door.

Mac shook his head a little, but was not surprised by the intrusion. And when Don and Lindsay joined Noelle seconds later, Katie now on her feet and holding her father's hand, he figured there was no point in speaking anything but the truth. Standing behind his desk, he said simply, "Yes. Stella and I are seeing each other."

"How long…?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"That's impossible."

The women's questions and Don's statement overlapped and an amused smile crossed the former Marine's face. "Six months. We didn't say anything because it's a fine line considering we're colleagues _and_ I'm her superior. Not to mention that we wanted to see where it was going before sharing it with anyone else. And, Don, nothing's impossible."

Grateful for the distraction, Noelle smiled at the wistful expression Mac had. "I think this is wonderful, Mac. I'm – _we're_ – so happy for you two. And there will be _no_ interference from any of us. _And,_ if you want us to keep this quiet, we will be more than happy to do so. Of course, I can't speak for our little chatterbox here."

"Our intention was never to keep this a secret forever. Maybe this was just the push we needed. I guess all we can do now is let the chips fall where they may."

"Mac, if you're worried about Bowery…" Don started.

"I'll handle Bowery."

"Why, what's the chief done now?" Stella asked, walking into the office with an evidence report in her hand, oblivious to the events that had revealed her relationship with Mac.

Now it was Lindsay, Noelle and Don's turn to look slightly amused as always-in-control Mac Taylor suddenly seemed a little flustered. "Um, actually –"

"Aunt 'Tella, you love Uncle Mac!" Katie spoke up, not understanding why this was as complicated as all of the grown ups were making it.

Stella's eyes widened and a red blush appeared on her face and neck. "I, uh – What was that, sweetheart?"

"It's okay, Stella. I told them," Mac explained.

Don's trademark smirk crossed his face as Stella realized that they all knew about her relationship with Mac and she was the one to now appear flustered.

She scowled at the homicide detective. "Wipe that smug grin off your face, Flack. Any first grade detective worth his salt wouldn't have needed his two year old to point it out to him."

Noelle laughed as the smile left her husband's face.

"We're really happy for you two, Stel," Lindsay offered.

Stella looked at her friends a little apologetically then. "We didn't intend to turn this into some big secret."

"We know," Lindsay assured her. "And _I'm_ certainly not one to talk. It's not like Danny and I were very forthcoming at the beginning. Besides – Oh." Her hand flew to her swollen abdomen.

"Are you okay?" Don asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah. The baby just decided to kick – _hard_. Wow." Seeing Katie looking at her curiously, Lindsay reached out her hand to the little girl. "Do you want to feel the baby kick, sweetie?"

She nodded excitedly.

Lindsay took her hand and laid it across her stomach. They did not have to wait very long to be rewarded, with the baby kicking hard again, definitely wanting to make its presence known.

Katie grinned then launched into a series of questions about the baby – when was it going to come out and play, how did it eat chocolate if it had to say in her tummy, how was it going to get out?

Noelle took a step back as she watched the scene unfold, fighting back tears. And when she saw Don accept Lindsay's invitation and he placed his hand on her stomach to feel the baby move, and awed expression crossing his face, she suppressed a whimper. With nobody paying any attention to her, she finally turned and ran from the office, quickly heading for the closest exit.

Up on the roof, she glanced out across the city as tears slid uncontrollably down her face. She thought of everything she had deprived her husband of because of the decisions she had made. He would never be able to feel _their_ child moving inside of her. He would never look at an ultrasound screen and see their child, or hear its heartbeat. He would never lay eyes on a baby possessing his blue eyes and thick, black hair. And she had deprived him of all of those things for nothing. How long until Don caught on to that?

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Packing. What does it look like?"_

_Noelle looks at her husband incredulously. "Packing? W-why?"_

_Not bothering to look at her, he replies, "Why do you think? I have no intention of hanging around and being married to a woman who only thinks of herself."_

"_Donnie, I don't – What are you talking about?"_

_He scoffs, shaking his head. "Do you realize that we could be awaiting the birth of our first child right now if you weren't so damn selfish? Why couldn't you just wait?"_

"_Donnie, I was – I'm sorry. It was just the pain –"_

"_You wanna talk about pain? Try having your chest blown open by a bomb, sweetheart. You can barely even see your scars."_

_Hurt by his remarks, she still takes a step closer to him as he continues to move contents from their dresser into a suitcase on their bed. "Listen, I know you didn't sign up for any of this, but you can't just leave."_

"_Watch me!"_

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Noelle spun around, poised for a fight.

Lindsay stepped back, her hands flying up in surrender. "Hey, it's just me."

"Oh, God, Linds, I'm so sorry."

Seeing her best friend's face streaked from tears, Lindsay furrowed her brow. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Instead of responding to the question, Noelle scowled. "Did you walk up all those stairs?"

"Relax, I took the elevator. But stop worrying about me and tell me what's going on with you. Don wouldn't say anything, but I know something is wrong. So spill."

Noli shook her head. "You've got enough –"

"I'm pregnant, Noelle. I don't need to be treated like I'm made of glass. Now would you please talk to me? Where did you and Don go today?"

"I had a doctor's appointment." She took a deep breath. "I, uh – The endometriosis is back."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."

Noelle felt another set of tears fill her eyes. "I thought I had dealt with all of this and now it's like it was all for nothing."

"Noli, don't go second guessing every decision you've ever made because of this. You did the only thing you could, and it was the right decision. It sure as hell wasn't for nothing. You've had three years of relief. In that time, you adopted a beautiful little girl, you married a man who is so incredibly in love with you he can barely keep the goofy grin off his face, and you've got a wonderful stepson. And I don't have to remind you that you inherited some ridiculously cool friends. And because of all of that, you don't have to go through any of this alone." She reached over and laid a hand on her friend's arm. "Now, tell me what I can do to help. Do you need me and Danny to take Katie for a couple nights, maybe give you a break?"

"Linds, you've got nineteen month old twins and a baby on the way in less than two months. The last thing you need right now is a two and a half year old."

"When you're got two, throwing a third in there is hardly noticeable," Lindsay assured her.

"I appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary. I've got to find some way to manage this."

"But you don't have to do it by yourself."

Noelle nodded unconvincingly. "I should get back downstairs. I don't want Don worrying."

"Don's going to worry about you no matter what. He loves you, No. I mean, that man would do anything for you. And when you love someone that much, you worry and there's nothing anyone can do to stop you. So, lean on him. And lean on me. You call Danny and me any hour of the day, 'cause we love you, too."

"Thanks, Linds."

Lindsay hugged her friend tightly, hating that she was having to go through any of this. "What were you thinking about when I first came up here? You seemed a million miles away," she commented with concern.

"It was nothing," Noelle replied dismissively, not wanting to rehash her worst nightmare.

Hours later, she stood in the doorway to Katie's room, listening as Don read to her. She joined her husband as he tucked their little girl in, kissing her forehead and wishing her sweet dreams. The couple then walked out together, closing the door behind them.

"Why don't you go lay down?" Don suggested.

"I told Tony I'd help him with his algebra homework."

"I don't want you pushing yourself."

"Honey, I wouldn't classify helping our son with his homework as overdoing it." She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned to head downstairs.

Don reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her back to him. "Nol. I know today was a rough one. We knew what the doctor was probably going to say, but actually hearing it was pretty hard to take. If you want to talk…"

"I told Linds. We talked."

"Good. That's good. I'm glad you told her."

"I'm okay, Donnie. And I've given this disease all the attention I care to give it today, so I'm just going to go help our son, okay?"

He nodded, afraid of alienating her by pushing too hard. However, as he watched her walk down the stairs, he was starting to feel a little alienated himself.


	96. Descent

Noelle tossed and turned, ravaged by one of the nightmares that had been plaguing her over the course of the last week. This time in her dream, not only was Don leaving her, but he was taking the kids with him. She implored him to stay, at least not to rip her daughter from her arms. Finally, she managed to wake herself up, only to find herself bathed in a cold layer of sweat. Becoming conscious after a moment of her surroundings, she felt the squeezing pain in her stomach. The pain made her feel sick, so she laid back down, taking deep breaths until the nausea passed. As she waited, she glanced over at the clock, alarmed to see that it was after eleven a.m.

Cautiously, she slid out of bed and padded into the en suite. She opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the bottle containing the anti-inflammatories her doctor had prescribed and took out two of the caplets. She washed them down with a glass of water from the tap, and then reached for the bottle of pain killers. However, after catching her reflection in the mirror, she set the pills back up on the shelf. The narcotics had knocked her out the night before, but twelve hours of sleep had still left her with dark circles under her eyes, magnified by how pale her skin was. She did not want to take any more of them, or she would end up sleeping the entire day away. At the very least, she would be left feeling even more out of it than she already did.

She felt too exhausted to even take a quick shower, so she just splashed some cold water on her face and threw on a pair of sweats. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun, then she headed downstairs. Inside the living room, she found her kids sitting together on the couch, playing one of their Wii games. A quick glance at the screen revealed that Katie was winning the game of virtual baseball. "Where's Don?" she inquired softly, not really wanting to interrupt them.

"He got called in," Tony explained. He finished his turn at bat, and then paused the game, much to his little sister's dismay. He ruffled her hair, and then looked over at his stepmother. "He said he'll call later, but he probably won't be home 'til tonight."

Noelle sighed. "Can you watch her a little while longer, just until I get some coffee in me?"

"No worries. Besides, Flack's dad is comin' by in about an hour to pick her up, and I'm goin' over to Sonny's."

She furrowed her brow. "Don called his father?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. She's gonna go stay there 'til tomorrow. I'm spending the night at Sonny's." He then gave in to Katie's pleading and turned back to the video game.

Noelle fought back tears as she wandered into the kitchen and hit the start button on the coffee maker. Don had arranged to send their kids away? Did he not trust her to take care of them?

"Mommy! Mommy! I win!" Katie announced, running into the kitchen excitedly and pulling her mother from her thoughts a few minutes later.

Noelle crouched down and welcomed her little girl into her arms, giving her a big hug. "That's great, sweetheart."

When Katie pulled back, she looked at her mommy with a furrowed brow. "Are you sad?"

"Oh, honey, no. I'm just – Do you remember when you were sick with the flu a few weeks ago and you felt really yucky?"

Katie nodded.

"Well, Mommy kind of feels like that."

"I make you better!" She leaned forward and kissed Noelle on the cheek then gave her another big hug. "See?"

Noelle felt herself growing weepy again. "My beautiful girl. That makes me feel so much better, thank you! But it sounds like you're going to go spend some time with Grandpa Don and Grandma Maggie. That'll be fun, huh?"

Katie grinned and nodded excitedly.

Noelle kissed her daughter's forehead, and then stood back up, retrieving her cup of coffee. "Why don't you go pick out some books to take with you and I'll pack them in your Dora bag, okay?"

"'k, Mommy."

She watched her little girl run off, then took a sip of the steaming coffee, closing her eyes against the tears and the headache that were threatening.

Forty-five minutes later, Tony had left for Sonny's and her father-in-law was at the door. She ushered him inside, her expression apologetic. "I wish Don would have talked to me first. I would've told him not to impose on your weekend."

"I'm retired, sweetheart," Don Sr. scoffed. "There's no such thing as a weekend. And spending time with our granddaughter is hardly an imposition." He looked at her with concern then. "But I want to know what else we can do."

"This is more than enough. Really, Jump."

"G'ampa! G'ampa!" Katie exclaimed, bounding down the stairs and right into her grandfather's arms.

Don's father picked up the toddler and hugged her tightly. "Ah, there she is. How's my favourite Katie?"

"I good. But Mommy feels yucky."

"I know, cutie. That's why we're going to go to our house and read all your books so your mommy can get some rest." He set her down on her feet and took her jacket from Noelle, helping the little girl into it before grabbing her backpack. He looked at his daughter-in-law then. "I told Donnie we'd keep her overnight, so I'll bring her back in the morning. But if you need us to keep her longer, you just call. And none of this worrying about imposing crap. This is what grandparents are for, and Maggie and I are up to the task."

"Thanks."

Don Sr. patted then kissed her cheek, then left with his granddaughter in tow.

Left alone, Noelle felt restless. She tried sitting in front of her laptop for a while, but she could not seem to focus long enough to get any work done. Finally, she gave up and booted her computer down. She curled up on the sofa with a book she had been reading, but the words on the page swam in front of her and she found she was reading the same lines over and over again without absorbing anything. She set the book aside and grabbed the TV remote. Yet despite having more channels than any family needed, she found there was nothing that she wanted to watch.

She got up and walked over to the bookshelves that held the numerous DVD's they owned. She scanned the titles, trying to find something that struck a chord. Instead, her hand fell onto a photo sitting on one of the upper shelves. She ran her fingers over the shot of Don, Tony, Katie and her. It was the most recent picture they had, taken at Riley's welcome home party in September. Katie had her usual grin on her face, the other three of them laughing at something she had just said. Noelle smiled a little wistfully for a brief moment. Then with the realization that her husband did not trust her to spend the day alone with her own daughter, the frame slid out of her hand and crashed onto the hardwood.

**XXX**

Don walked back into alley in the meat packing district, writing down some notes in his memo book as Danny finished processing the scene of the city's latest murder. His cell rang before he reached the CSI. He pulled it from the pocket of his overcoat, smiling when he saw his home number on the call display, ready to be praised for being the best husband in the entire world. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted.

"You didn't have to send Katie away. I can take care of our daughter."

He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The hurt in his wife's voice was unmistakable. It had never occurred to him that she would take his gesture the wrong way and think he was undermining her. "C'mon, Nol. I just thought you could use a break. And Tony's been picking up a lot of the slack the last few weeks–"

"Great, so now I can't do anything right by our son, either?"

"I didn't say that." He sighed, running a weary hand over his face. Seeing that Danny had glanced up, he furrowed his brow. "I was just tryin' to do something to help, take some of the pressure off. I certainly wasn't tryin' to send any kind of message about what kind of parent I think you are."

Noelle said nothing in response, and for a moment, Don thought she had hung up on him. Finally, he heard her say softly, "I'm sorry."

"What's goin' on, doll, huh?"

"I'm just – I'm all over the place. And now I'm screwing everything up."

"No, you're not. Listen, sweetheart, I'm gonna be a few more hours. Why don't you just try and get some rest, okay? I'll bring home some dinner from Il Fornello."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah. I love you, Noelle. I'll see ya later, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, too. Bye."

Don slid his phone back into his pocket and walked further into the alley.

"Everything okay?" Messer asked.

"Yeah. Sure. Nobody saw nothin'. Same old story. Everyone in this city so damn self-absorbed and desensitized that they have no clue what's goin' on around them," he replied irritably.

Danny had picked up enough from Don's side of his phone conversation to know what was responsible for his suddenly less-than-sunny disposition. So, he shut is case and pulled out the keys to the department issue Avalanche. "I'm starvin'. What say we go grab a slice at Ray's before we head back?"

Flack easily agreed, needing a break.

It was not until they were tucked into a booth at their favourite pizza joint, a slice and a soda in front of both of them, that any words were spoken. First, Danny took to just studying his friend for a couple minutes, noticing how tired and worn out he looked. Lindsay had filled him in earlier in the week on Noelle's health situation, and it was obvious that it was taking a toll on Don as well. "So, uh – This thing with Hanson…It bad?"

Don nodded. "Yeah. And then this morning, I think I'm doin' a good thing when I call my folks and ask if they can take Katie for the weekend. But instead, Noli's convinced I don't think she can take care of our kids." He sat back in his seat in the booth.

"She's goin' through a rough time. Probably a little scared, right?"

"I know. I just – It's hard seein' her like this. She's in pain all the time. She's afraid to take the meds unless both me and Tony are around 'cause they knock her out. And I think she's been havin' nightmares. But she won't talk to me."

"What's the doc say?" Danny asked.

"We're just waitin' on the results from some tests, but we're expectin' them to be normal. If so, the best option is surgery. She's less than thrilled."

"I'm sure. But if it can help…"

"You try tellin' that to a woman's who's had the same operation three times before and thought this was all over with." Don sighed. "If it was some guy who messed her up back in the day, I could rough him up, make some threats, make him disappear, whatever. But what the hell do I got against a disease?"

"You love your wife. That's what you got," Danny assured him.

"A lotta good that's doin' her these days."

Hours later, a suspect in the case in lock-up pending some further investigation left up to the CSI's, Don returned home. He had spaghetti Bolognese and fettuccine Alfredo in hand from Il Fornello and a bouquet of gerberas. Not finding his wife downstairs, he left the food and flowers in the kitchen then wandered up the stairs. He heard the sounds of Handel's Messiah wafting from the master bedroom, and as he entered the room, he saw the flickering of candles from the en suite. He smiled as he realized Noelle was naked and soapy in the tub.

As he crossed the room, he started stripping off his suit. His blazer, tie, socks and belt were gone by the time he reached the door to the bathroom, and he was working on the buttons to his shirt. Having heard the rustling out in the bedroom, Noelle was waiting when he appeared, an inviting smile on her face.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked. Hidden under a pile of bubbles, her auburn hair pulled up, some tendrils hanging and damp around her face, she looked so damn sexy that when she nodded in response to his question, Don could not get the rest of his clothes off fast enough.

Noelle scooted forward to make room as her husband climbed into the tub behind her. She then settled back in his arms, the hair on his chest tickling her bare back momentarily.

"How're you doin', baby?" he asked, his voice low as he dropped a kiss to her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're home." She turned her head, leaning up and kissing the edge of his jaw. "I'm so sorry about earlier."

"No apologies, babe. It's all right." He met her lips in a slow, languorous kiss.

Barely breaking the kiss long enough to take a breath, Noelle turned and straddled her husband. Her arms moved around his neck, her fingers sliding through the hair at the nape of his neck. "Make love to me," she murmured between kisses.

"Are you sure?"

She met his lips again in a searing kiss, her answer pretty clear.

Don slowly made love to his wife, treasuring how intimately connected they were for the first time in almost three weeks. He would be lying if he said he had not missed feeling her surround him.

Afterwards, Noelle tightened her hold on him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. And while Don basked in the afterglow, she prayed he would not feel her shaking as tears streamed down her face.


	97. He Shoots, He Scores

Seeing that Noelle had fallen asleep, Don picked up the TV remote off the end table and turned the channel from the movie they had been watching to the Islanders-Leafs game. As he watched New York's defense try to hold on to their one-goal lead, he absent-mindedly stroked his hand through his wife's hair as she dozed on the couch with her head in his lap. Part of him wished she was not sleeping through the only evening they'd had alone in quite a while. However, he knew that when she was sleeping, she was probably not in any pain. And right now, that was the most important thing to him.

Stretching out during the commentary between the second and third period, Flack noticed for the first time the picture laying on the end table, the glass missing from its frame and a chip out of the wood in one of the bottom corners. He reached over and picked up the broken frame, wondering what kind of misfortune had befallen it. He remembered where it had been sitting on the bookshelf, too high for Katie to have gotten to it. He guessed Tony could have accidentally knocked it off while retrieving one of his video games. However it had happened, he knew it was Noelle's favourite picture, so he made a mental note to replace the frame next time he was near a Pottery Barn.

He set the photograph back on the table and turned his attention to his wife. Making love to her in the tub earlier had been incredibly erotic. But though she had tried to hide it, Don had known that she was in a lot of pain afterward. For a long time, she had clung to him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. When he had expressed some concern, she had dismissed him, insisting she was fine. Then she had finally climbed out of the bathtub and pulled on her robe, suggesting they not let the food he had brought home go to waste. And as he had done too often in recent days, he had let it go, not wanting to upset her. Unfortunately, he was starting to see that his silence was not helping her cope, but rather contributing to the distance that she was putting between them.

"Don't go."

Don looked down at his wife, furrowing his brow when he saw that she was talking in her sleep. The crease in her own brow told him that her dream was anything but sweet. It was not the first that he had witnessed her having a nightmare in the past couple weeks. She had previous blamed the meds before, but he was no longer convinced. He ran a finger over her cheek. "Noli. Wake up, baby," he said softly.

She continued to mutter in her sleep, until finally, his gentle prodding pulled her from her dreams. She awoke with a start, unsure for a brief moment where she was.

"It's okay, doll. You were just dreaming," he assured her.

Noelle sat up, getting her bearings, her expression betraying some embarrassment.

"I'll get you some water."

As he went to get up, she reached out and grasped his arm, stopping him and pulling him back down beside her. "No, no, I'm fine. It was just a stupid dream."

"You remember what it was about?"

She shook her head unconvincingly. Seeing the hockey game on the television screen, she joked, "Probably about the Leafs losing."

Don flashed his dimples with a shake of his head. "Nice. Try again."

"I don't remember," she replied a little defensively then. "You know, maybe a glass of water isn't such a bad idea."

Before he could say anything, she jumped up and headed off into the kitchen.

Don sat back with a sigh, rubbing his temple. If he followed his instincts, there was the potential for a fight. But he couldn't let things keep going the way they had been. It was becoming more and more obvious that his wife needed him, that there was more wrong than her just being in pain.

He reached for the remote and shut off the TV just as his wife returned to the living room, a glass of water now in her hand. He took a breath then stood up. "Noli, what were you dreaming about?"

"I told you, I don't remember."

"You said, 'Don't go.' That ring any bells?" he pressed.

"Donnie, why does it matter?"

"Because it's not the first nightmare you've had lately. And things – Things are off. I mean, you thought earlier today that I didn't trust you to take care of Katie. You _know_ that the thought would never even cross my mind."

"I already apologized," she said quietly.

"Honey, I ain't lookin' for an apology. I just want you to talk to me here. C'mon – Jesus, Noli, you're shaking," he observed, his voice laced with concern as he noticed that the water in her glass was rippling.

Noelle followed his gaze and looked at the glass in her hand. Seeing her hand shake, she quickly set the glass down on the coffee table, then furrowed her brow, her body language suggesting this was the last conversation she wanted to be having.

"Please stop shuttin' me out."

"Donnie, it's nothing. I'm—"

"I swear, Nol, you tell me you're fine and I'm out the door," he threatened, his Irish temper beginning to get the better of him.

Her eyes widened. Although her temper could be as explosive as his, there was no anger in her expression. Instead, Don noticed a definite flash of fear in her eyes. "No, don't go. Please."

He sighed in frustration. "Look, I'm not…" He trailed off, narrowing his eyes as a piece fell into place. That was what she had said in her sleep, _Don't go_. Was she honestly afraid that he would leave her? He shook his head incredulously. "No matter what gets thrown at us, I'm never gonna leave you. Why don't you trust that?"

A few tears slipped down his wife's face.

Don hated seeing her cry and it was obvious that she had been carrying a lot around with her for the past few weeks that he had failed to notice. "I don't pretend to know the kind of pain you're in. And I'm guessing that besides doing a number on you physically, it's probably starting to mess with your head and your emotions a little, especially considering the drugs you're on. But that's why you gotta talk to me here. I'm a guy, sweetheart. I might be able to tell when a suspect's lying, but I'm not a mind reader. I can't help you if I you don't tell me what's wrong."

When she looked away, he took a few steps closer, closing the distance between them. "What the hell has got you so scared, Noelle?"

She raised her gaze to meet his, the depth of his love and concern unmistakable in his clear, blue eyes. "I – I don't want you to hate me."

"Why would I possibly hate you?"

"I deprived you of any chance to have a biological child. I made a selfish choice and it was obviously the wrong one 'cause here we are now. And this – It's not going away. How could you _not_ resent me for all of that?"

Don's heart broke as his wife confessed her deepest fear. There were other men he knew that, had she been married to them, her fear would not be completely irrational. But Don had never been one of those guys who felt that his life would not be complete until he had spread his seed. He loved his children, and it did not matter to him that they did not share one drop of his DNA. Besides, he would have to be some kind of sadistic jerk to wish his wife had subjected herself to three more years of suffering just so he would have the opportunity to produce some offspring.

He couldn't believe he had not seen this before, that it had not occurred to him that she would be questioning her decisions. And it killed him that she had been carrying around these fears for weeks. He took her hand and led her over to the couch, sitting her down and taking a seat beside her. He never let go of her hand. Instead, he held it tightly. "I don't regret not having a biological child. And who's to say that if you hadn't had the hysterectomy, we would have even been able to conceive, or you would've been able to carry a baby. For all we know, my guys don't know how to swim. And maybe we never woulda even met if things had been different."

"It just feels like I did it for nothing," she admitted.

"Knowing this is what you were like before, there's no way in hell anyone would think you made a selfish choice. You bought yourself three years without any pain. You think that was for nothin'? Sweetheart, you made the only choice you could. And there's a good chance we wouldn't have the life we have now if you'd done things any differently. Think about it. If you hadn't adopted Katie, where do you think she'd be right now?'

Noelle shrugged. "I – I don't know. I'm sure someone else would have adopted her."

"You think that someone would have loved her as much as we do? Or where the hell would _we _be without her? I mean, when she smiles at you, don't you just feel so ridiculously happy that nothing can touch you in that moment?"

She could not help the smile that tugged at her lips.

"And what about Tony? What's biology done for him? His biological mother's an addict that couldn't have cared less about her son, and his father didn't even hang around long enough to meet the kid he gave his DNA to. And don't get me started on Joseph …"

She sighed. "Donnie…"

He looked at her seriously. "I don't sit around asking myself what if's. There's no point. Especially when I got no complaints about the life I got."

"No complaints? Yeah, the last month's been a barrel of laughs," she scoffed.

"No, it sucks. I'd do just about anything not to have to go through any of this with you right now. But this is the hand we were dealt, so we'll deal. And I'd rather be goin' through whatever this is _together_ than not have you – and everything else you've given me – in my life." He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll never leave you, No. I'm in this. But you've gotta be in it with me."

"I am," she whispered, overwhelmed.

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "I coulda put all your fears to rest weeks ago if you'd let me in, but instead you've driven yourself so crazy that you started having nightmares. I wish you woulda just talked to me."

She looked away.

Don reached over and tilted her chin so she was forced to look at him again. "I know you've got a lot more experience dealing with this than I do, and you're used to handling it on your own. And we've already established that _I'm_ gonna screw up, like callin' my folks today without consulting you first. But we both gotta find a way to get do this together. Otherwise we're gonna be in trouble. So, no more pushin' me away."

'I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me, too. I shoulda clued in long before tonight. But I want you to trust that I'm not goin' anywhere. I love you, all right?"

"I love you, too. More than you know."

He met her lips in a sweet and gentle kiss, but then he looked at her earnestly. "Things were bad after we had sex earlier, weren't they?"

She nodded slowly, apologetically.

"Jesus, Noli."

"I didn't really know. I took a dose of the medication Sheldon prescribed before you got home and I wasn't feeling too bad. I knew that sex could exacerbate things, but I don't really have any previous history with that part," she pointed out a little shyly.

"Well, then we gotta be careful. I love making love with you, but not if it's gonna cause you pain."

She moved closer and sunk into his side, closing her eyes as he wrapped an arm around her. "Dr. Langdon's office called this afternoon." She looked up at him and caught the look on his face. "I know. But I'm telling you now."

"So what'd they say?"

"No surprises. Lab work's okay, ultrasound was normal. I have an appointment next Thursday to discuss surgery."

He nodded. "I'll go with you." As he felt her curl back up against him, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "It'll be okay, doll."

"Better the devil you know, right?"

"Once we have a date, I'll talk to my folks about takin' Katie. We'll let Tony decide if he wants to stay here or go with her."

"Mark and Jen volunteered, too. So did your sister. My parents did as well, but I might need Mom to come stay here for a few days."

"Nah, I'll figure something out at work. I want to be here with you."

"I'd like that." She yawned then, closing her eyes.

"Why don't you head on up to bed, babe?"

"No, I like using you as a pillow. But you can turn the game back on."

He smiled at the pillow remark, then flipped the TV back on.

Noelle opened one eye to catch the score and smirked when she saw that Toronto had scored a couple goals in the third and was now ahead by one. "Go Leafs Go," she chanted.

"When was the last time the Leafs won the Cup there, Hansen?"

"1967. But I like their Jerseys better. And it's Mrs. Flack to you."


	98. Google

Don walked into the bedroom, fastening the buttons on his cuffs. He heard the shower running in the en suite and realized his wife was far from ready. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table with a sigh. They were going to be pushing it now, especially if they hit midtown traffic.

The water shut off seconds later, and while he was searching through his ties for something to wear with his striped dress shirt, Noelle walked into the room, wrapped only in a towel. "We got twenty minutes, babe," Don said without looking up.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just needed to wake up a little. I'll be ready."

Finding the tie he was looking for, he looked up, then immediately forgot about the task at hand as his eyes settled on his wife massaging some of her vanilla-scented lotion onto her damp skin. He starting running crime scenes in his head to fight against the instant arousal he felt. "Jesus," he muttered.

Noelle looked over at him, biting her lip as she recognized the look on his face.

"I'm gonna go wait downstairs," he finally said, taking his tie and grabbing his suit jacket off the end of the bed and heading out of the bedroom.

Noli sighed, slumping down on the bed. It had been a week since she had confided in Don about her deepest fears. He had been so wonderful, and emotionally, she had felt like a different person in the days that followed. He had accompanied her to her doctor's appointment on Thursday, where they had discussed plans for surgery with her specialist, and again, he had been nothing short of a rock for her. But she knew the entire situation was weighing on him. He was the one picking up the slack – working his usual crazy hours, then coming home and doing as much around the house as he could since she had not been up to much beyond watching Katie and working on her book in short spurts. On top of that, he was so afraid of doing anything to exacerbate her pain that he had shied away from most physical contact. She missed him, and from the look he had just had on his face, it was obvious that he missed her.

Looking at the clock, she realized she did not have time to worry about everything now. She grabbed her blow dryer and headed back into the en suite.

Don wandered down the stairs. He walked over to the mirror in the entryway and tied his tie, and then he headed into the living room. Katie was colouring at her play table, and Tony was browsing on his laptop on the couch. He sat down on the armchair and looked at his stepson. "What are you working on?"

Tony glanced up, his brow furrowed. "I googled endometriosis. How come you guys didn't tell me how bad this was?"

"Antonio, Noelle's going to be fine, okay? It'll be a bit of a ride until she has the surgery, but once she's recovered –"

"It might come back. It has before," Tony argued.

Don hesitated. He knew better than to insult his son's intelligence by offering false assurances. The kid had been lied to too many times before. "You're right. But, you know, we don't really know for sure what's gonna happen now. There's so many things that are misunderstood about this disease. There's a chance that her surgeon just missed excising all of the disease at the time of her hysterectomy and that's what's causing the problems now, or –"

"—it could have just come back. And that means it can keep happening."

"We don't know, kid. So, we just gotta take it one day at a time. I'm sorry we didn't really explain everything. We just didn't want you worrying," Don apologized.

"But I coulda been doing more."

Flack smiled. "You've been doin' more than enough. I mean, look at tonight. You're givin' up your Saturday night so Nol and I can meet up with Mac and Stella for dinner."

"But I could watch Katie more or…I can help, Flack!"

"It's not your responsibility to try and make things better, Tony. You're the kid here and we're the parents. The last thing either of us want is for you to be makin' sacrifices when your job is just to be a kid – go to school and do your best, be a good big brother and a son we can be proud of. And for the record, you're already doing all those things."

"It's just not fair, you know? I mean, Noelle's like the coolest mom. I wish I could do something to make her feel better."

"I know, man. I do, too." Don looked over at his daughter then, working intently on her latest masterpiece, her brow furrowed in concentration, her lips pursed. She reminded him of the way Noelle looked when she was working, or how Lindsay examined a piece of critical evidence. Noelle was convinced she was going to be a great artist one day – Don was hoping for the NYPD's top investigator. "You almost done there, cutie?"

Katie glanced up with a scowl at being so rudely interrupted. "I still dwawing, Daddy!"

"Okay. You keep at it there, sweetheart. Then Tony's gonna read you a story before you go to bed, okay? You're gonna listen to what he says, right?"

Katie nodded, looking at her big brother with a grin then. "I be good. I pwomise."

"Can we play a couple innings of baseball on the Wii?" Tony requested.

"Yeah, sure. Just wait 'til we leave and don't tell Noli."

"I heard that," Noelle announced.

Don glanced up at his wife, doing a double take. She was wearing a red cocktail dress he had not seen in a long while – probably since he had taken her to Montenegro's back when they were first dating. She looked as beautiful as she had then; though he could not help but notice she had obviously lost weight over the past few weeks. He had been too busy earlier fighting his sexual frustration to really observe the change, but now he felt a twinge of concern. He made a mental note to make sure she ate something of substance tonight.

Noelle smiled as she locked eyes with her husband. "I told you I'd be ready. Good thing, too, before you told our kids they could stay up 'til midnight playing video games."

"Ah, it's a couple innings of baseball. It's helping to develop Katie's coordination," he kidded as he got up and pulled on his suit jacket.

"Like the kid needs any help," Tony muttered.

Noelle walked over and leaned down, kissing the top of Tony's head. "Don't let her sucker you into a third inning or a second story. And you, sweet girl, you listen to what your big brother tells you."

"Don' go yet, Mommy. I gotta finish," Katie explained, returning to her drawing.

Don nodded towards the foyer and he and Noelle went out to put on their coats and shoes. Noelle was reminding Tony for the third time that the number of the restaurant was on the refrigerator when Katie came running out with her picture in her hands. She thrust it at her father with a proud smile.

"Wow. That's great, cutie!" Don praised, starting to hand it back.

"No, for Uncle Mac and Aunt 'Tella!" she explained as if he was thick not to have known that in the first place.

"Oh, right, of course. They'll love it, sweetheart."

Noelle glanced over his shoulder at the art project. "A giraffe?" she asked her husband softly.

He shrugged.

They said goodbye to the kids then headed out into the cold, late November evening. They rode in silence for a while, Don fighting an internal debate as to whether he should tell Noelle about his conversation with Tony. He finally decided she should know. He expected that she would be upset to hear that Tony was spending his time worrying about her, but Don managed to talk her down, pointing out that they were fortunate that he had melded so well with their family and cared so much. While she appreciated that more than he knew, she did hate that he was concerning himself at all.

"So, is this going to be weird?" she asked as they approached the restaurant.

"You mean having dinner with Mac and Stella and knowing that they're together? Yeah," Don admitted.

"They're good for each other, Donnie," Noelle pointed out.

"I'm not – I don't disagree. It's just – Things could get messy, you know? They work together."

"So do Dan and Linds."

"Please, those two were inevitable from the day they met. And Danny wasn't her boss."

"They didn't just get together, sweetheart. We might've just found out a couple weeks ago, but they've been working at this for six months. They've figured it out, they've made adjustments and made it work."

Don nodded. He parked the car, then turned to his wife. "Listen, I told Mac, and he's probably told Stel."

"It's fine. They're our friends, and I certainly never intended to keep them in the dark. I just never know how to bring it up, you know? 'Hey, Mac, nice suit. And just so you know, I have this disease…' "

He smirked. "That's good, babe. You should try that next time. But should I be worried 'bout you noticing Mac's suits?"

She rolled her eyes.

He leaned over and kissed her. His intended brief brush against his lips turned into a heated lip lock as her hand moved around his neck to keep him close. "What was that for?" he asked a little breathlessly as they came up for air.

"You don't have to be afraid to kiss me. I'm not gonna break."

"I'm sorry, Nol. I just don't want –"

"To hurt me? You won't. I promise, I won't let you."

He met her lips again. "I miss you," he confessed, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Me, too."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, his eyes wanting. "This would all be a hell of a lot easier if you weren't so smokin' hot."

"I just spoiled you before, letting you have your way with me whenever you wanted," she teased him.

"Yep, that's it." He chuckled lightly.

She reached up and touched his face. "This whole thing sucks and I know it's wearing on you."

"Nah. I mean, would I rather you feel good? Do I miss having sex with my wife whenever the mood strikes?"

"Which was all the time?" she could not help but joke.

He smirked for a second before sobering a little. "All's I'm sayin' is that the situation isn't ideal, and yeah, it's rough sometimes. But I meant it the other day when I told ya I'd rather have you like this than not at all. We got a good life, Noli, and we're a hell of a lot luckier than most of the people I see out there on the job."

She nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "I guess we should go inside."

"Yeah, Mac's Avalanche is here. They're probably inside wonderin' where we are."

"They're probably inside wishin' they were out here doin' this…" She leaned over and kissed him again deeply.

"It's Mac and Stel, sweetheart. Not really where I want my head to go when you're makin' out with me," he kidded.

Noelle laughed. "C'mon. We shouldn't continue to deprive them of our company. Or this Katie Flack original."

"I think it's a dinosaur."

"You think everything she draws is a dinosaur."

"C'mon. She's not even three. Tell me everything she draws doesn't _look_ like a dinosaur."

"You're definitely the left-brained one in this relationship."

"My creativity just tends to lie in other areas," he replied suggestively.

"Okay, that's it. Inside, Detective, before I say screw it and we start breaking all sorts of misdemeanors out here."


	99. Karma

"I win?"

Tony shut off the video game and ruffled his grinning little sister's hair with an incredulous shake of his head. "Yeah, rug rat, you won. _Again_. You know, having my little sister beat me isn't exactly great for my ego – even if you are a genius."

"I sorry," Katie said with a furrowed brow.

The teen chuckled. "No, kid, you don't got to apologize for bein' smart. But we should get you to bed. I'm dead meat if Flack and Noelle come home and you're still awake."

"But I not tired!" she whined.

"I already let you play six innings of baseball. I gotta get you to bed, Katie. I'll read ya a story, though, okay?"

"_Two_ stories!"

"Nah, just one."

"Two! _One Fish, Two Fish_ and the Gwinch!"

"You get _One Fish, Two Fish_ and that's it. Christmas is still a month away. It's too early for the Grinch. Besides, we gotta get through Thanksgiving first."

"What's 'at?"

"Thanksgiving?"

She nodded.

"It's a holiday. You eat turkey and stuff, and I don't have to go to school. I dunno what they do 'round here exactly, but we're going to Mr. and Mrs. Flack's on Thursday and Mr. and Mrs. Hansen's on Friday, so there's definitely gonna be a ton of food. Maybe even some of those perogie things at the Hansens."

"Yay! 'k, we go wead _One Fish, Two Fish_ and the Gwinch now!" she pronounced.

"Nice try there, munchkin. But you get _one_ story then you gotta go to sleep." He shut off the TV, then turned his back to his sister. "Hop on."

Katie flashed her thousand kilowatt grin at getting a piggy-back ride up to bed. She wrapped her arms around Tony's neck and squealed with delight as he stood up carried her upstairs.

Tony struggled to change his little sister into her pajamas and get her teeth brushed, but finally he succeeded. In her room, he looked through her picture books until he found one of the Dr. Seuss stories she had requested. He then sat down on her bed and pulled her up onto his lap, then read to her.

"'Gain!" she pleaded as he finished and closed the book.

"Nah, c'mon, rug rat. Ya gotta go to sleep. It's already an hour past your bedtime. We'll read more tomorrow. I promise."

She scowled and began to offer a string of "I not tired," and "Can I have a drink of water?" and "How does the baby in Aunt Lindy's tummy know when it's bedtime if it's dark all the time?" until finally, she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

Tony laughed at her attempts to stay up. He was pretty sure he had pulled out most of the same tricks with his mother when she was around, and definitely with his grandmother, when he was a little kid. He gave into her pleas for hugs, kissed her forehead and turned off the bedside lamp, then headed back downstairs. He curled back up on the couch and turned on the TV, channel surfing from something decent to watch on a Saturday night, finally settling on a re-run of Cold Case.

He was picking apart the police procedure a few minutes later – having spent enough time with Don now and having heard him complain enough about how they take dramatic license with the cop shows – when there was a soft knock at the front door. He raised his eyebrows and headed out into the entryway. Glancing through the side window, his eyes widened when he saw his latest crush standing on the front doorstep. He ran a hand through his cropped, black hair and smoothed out his t-shirt, took a deep breath, then opened the door. "Alyssa. Uh, hey. What are you doing here?" he asked, doing his best to sound nonchalant yet interested – that ridiculous line teenagers try to walk when they are attracted to someone and aren't sure if the feeling is mutual.

The girl smiled at Tony. Alyssa Montgomery was not exactly the girl next door. For one thing, she was seventeen, two years older than Tony, and a senior. She had been hanging around baseball practice one day at the start of the school year, hoping to catch the eye of the senior who had been the team's up-and-coming star player the previous year, when she had noticed Tony. By that time, he was no longer the scrawny kid the Flacks had taken in back in June. The summer had brought along a growth spurt, and his obsession with baseball had given him a lean yet muscular frame. He had showed up at the high school as the hot, new guy who no one knew too much about – but the rumours floating around were that his stepfather was some hotshot NYPD detective and his uncle was some kind of mob boss, a mixture of truth and exaggeration. Alyssa found the mystery surrounding the stranger incredibly sexy and was soon trying to catch _his _eye. Sonny tried to warn Tony off, telling him that he had heard rumours going around about _her_. But Tony was fifteen and instantly smitten. And now the hot girl with the long, blonde hair and skirts worn just a little shorter than the school's dress code allowed, was on his doorstep.

Alyssa quirked an eyebrow. "What, you're not going to invite me in?" she asked with a hint of a pout.

"Lyss, I'd like to. It's just that I'm lookin' after my little sister and –"

"Yeah, I heard you tell John yesterday that you were babysitting tonight. Thought you might be lonely."

He swallowed hard. "Uh, that's sweet. But, y'know …" His mind went into overdrive. He was lacking in experience, but he was pretty sure that it was completely uncool to tell the girl he liked that he couldn't invite her in because it was against his parents' rules.

She shivered a little. "It's kind of cold out here."

Tony took a deep breath then. What could an hour hurt? Flack and Noelle wouldn't be home for at least another couple. "Yeah, yeah, c'mon in." He glanced around quickly as if he was afraid someone might see, then he spirited her inside.

**XXX**

Noelle and Stella laughed as Don and Mac tag-teamed the telling of a story about one of their past cases. Noelle was glad Don had suggested they go out on the double date. Not only was she thrilled to see two of her friends so obviously happy together, but the evening had provided a nice distraction from everything. She had been having a good day anyway, but the evening out had made her feel almost normal. And Don's hand resting absent-mindedly on her knee was starting to make her feel a few other things.

As Don and Mac finished their story, Don removed his hand from his wife's knee and wrapped his arm around the back of her chair. Looking at her, he observed that there was a noticeable blush to her cheeks. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked quietly, leaning close.

"I'm fine," she replied, picking up her water glass and quickly downing some of the ice-cold liquid.

Don bit back a grin, realizing why she was flushed. Obviously, the conversation they'd had in the car was lingering with her as it was with him.

"So, do you guys have big plans for Thanksgiving?" Stella asked, interrupting the musings of the married couple.

"Uh, yeah, Ellie's comin' in with the family so it'll be dinner with the entire clan on Thursday, and then over to Noli's parents' on Friday. And I'm not even on call, so I might actually make it to both dinners this year," Flack replied. "What about you two?"

"Mac's going to cook a turkey," Stella explained a little incredulously, picking up her wine glass and taking a sip as if to prevent herself from saying anything further.

Mac looked at her with a quirk of his eyebrow. "You say that is if you think we'll end up eating Chinese from the Golden Dragon. I can cook a turkey, Stella. You'll be very impressed."

"You don't have to impress me, Mac. The fact that we both have the day off and can actually spend the holiday together is enough for me."

Noelle and Don both caught the look that passed between the new couple and could not help but smile.

Mac looked at Noelle then, his expression sobering. "Don told us about your upcoming surgery. Is there anything we can do?"

"That's really sweet, Mac, but right now, all we can do is wait," Noelle replied appreciatively.

"Well, if you need us to watch Katie and Tony at all, know that we'd be happy to do so," Stella cut in. "Whatever you need…"

"You might wanna think twice about offering to take on both a toddler and a teenager," Don laughed.

"Especially since Katie has started questioning _everything_," Noelle added. "And they're not just your standard 'why' questions. She's too smart for her own good."

An amused grin crossed Mac's face.

"We're sorry about her outing you two," Don apologized. "Once she latches onto an idea…"

"I'm actually glad she did," Stella admitted. "All the sneaking around was getting a little tiring."

"You know, she also helped break the case we were working on. She identified the perp in the surveillance video Adam was viewing," Mac explained.

"You serious?" Don remarked in disbelief.

Mac nodded. "She's a smart kid, and she's got great instincts."

Flack smirked at his wife then. "I told ya, Nol. She's makin' out to be fourth generation NYPD."

"She's a few months shy of three, babe. I think we've got a ways to go before determining her career path."

"That's true, Flack. She could be a great artist," Stella agreed. "I mean, look at this dinosaur she drew for Mac and me."

Don's smirk grew. "Hear that, sweetheart? It's a dinosaur."

Noelle rolled her eyes.

**XXX**

Katie reached up and turned the doorknob with both of her hands and pulled the door open. She walked across the hall and reached up to knock on Tony's door, but quickly realized the door was ajar. She pushed it open to find his room dark. So, instead she went over to the stairs and carefully walked down the steps one at a time.

"Tony, I sirsty," she complained as she reached the landing and headed into the living room. "Who's 'at?"

Tony and Alyssa sprang apart from the intense lip lock they had been sharing. He looked over at his little sister, his heart pounding with the realization that he had been caught. "Uh, Katie, why aren't you in bed?"

"I not tired!" She looked at Alyssa with a grin. "Hiya."

"She's so cute!" Alyssa commented. "Hi, sweetie. I'm –"

"Just leaving. Lyss, you gotta go," Tony insisted. "I have to put Katie back to bed and my folks are gonna be home soon."

She shrugged. "Okay. I'll see ya at school on Monday."

"Yeah, yeah. School. Monday."

Alyssa leaned over and kissed his cheek, then jumped up and grabbed her jacket and bag from the armchair and headed out, waving at Katie on her way by and saying, "See ya, sweetheart."

Once he heard the front door shut, Tony got up and walked over, crouching down in front of Katie. "I'll get ya a drink of water, okay?"

Katie nodded with a grin.

"But you have to do something for me. You gotta promise that you won't say anything to Flack and Noelle 'bout Alyssa being here."

"'k, Tony. I not tell."

He did not feel overly reassured, but knew there was nothing he could do. He took his little sister's hand and took her into the kitchen, where he filled a sippy cup with water. Then he took her back up to bed. When she pleaded for another story, he did not feel he could say no, so he read her _Green Eggs and Ham_, watching as she slipped back to sleep before he was two-thirds of the way through.

Tony was exiting Katie's room for the second time that evening when he heard the key in the front door down below. He took a deep breath then jogged down the stairs to greet his parents, glancing quickly into the living room to make sure there were no signs of his earlier illicit activities.

"Hey, kiddo. How was your night?" Don greeted with a bright smile, Noelle's hand in his.

"Uh, fine. Yeah."

Noelle raised her eyebrows. "Oh yeah? How long has Katie been asleep?"

Tony sighed. "Five minutes."

Noelle laughed as her husband took her coat and hung it up in the front hall closet, along with his own. "You owe me another dinner out, honey."

Don rolled his eyes.

"I tried. And she went down like an hour and a half ago. But then she got up again," Tony explained.

"Don't worry about it, Antonio. We appreciate you giving up your Saturday night to babysit."

"No problem. I'm gonna head on up myself. So, I'll, uh – I'll see ya in the morning."

"All right. Pancakes for breakfast sound okay?"

The teen nodded and allowed Noelle to kiss his cheek goodnight before he high-tailed it back up the stairs.

"Remind me never to bet against ya again," Don chuckled.

"I could've told you that a long time ago, my love." She reached over and grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling him close before leaning up and kissing him. "I, uh – I'm feeling pretty good. I was thinking we could, you know…"

"You sure?"

She nodded. "I'm just going to take a pre-emptive strike and take some of the pain medication, just to be safe."

"I don't want to do anything to hurt you, sweetheart," Don said gently.

"I think I'll be okay. And I just – I really want to be with you."

Don grinned. "The feeling is definitely mutual. Why don't you head on up, and I'll just lock up down here."

"Okay."

"But first…" He pulled her close and captured her lips in a searing kiss, finally releasing her with a groan. "Yeah, you better go up. I don't want to risk traumatizing Tony by takin' ya right here."

She blushed but could not help but grin at the gleam in her husband's eyes. "Hurry."

Don watched his wife as she headed up the stairs, admiring the view, before he headed into the living room to turn off the lights. Noticing one of the pillows from the couch had been knocked onto the floor he walked over and picked it up. He went to replace it on the couch, but noticed something sparkling in the crease between the back of the couch and the end cushion. Furrowing his brow, he reached down and picked up the object, quickly realizing it was a dangly earring, one he did not recognize it as one of Noelle's.

Don shut off the lights and made sure the house was locked up, then headed up to the master bedroom. Walking inside he found his wife in the en suite, brushing her teeth. "This yours, babe?"

Noelle took the earring in her hand and looked it over, then shook her head. She finished brushing her teeth, then looked at her husband curiously. "Where'd you find it?"

"On the couch downstairs."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I'm pretty sure you're not stupid enough to be sneaking strange women into our home, so that leaves our son."

"No wonder he didn't mind babysitting on a Saturday night."

"What do we do?"

Don sighed, staring at the earring. "I dunno. But I don't think you gotta worry about me not having any biological kids there, sweetheart. Even without my DNA, Tony's turnin' out to be just like me."

Noelle smirked. "Got to love karma."


	100. Spilling Secrets

**A/N** Wow! 100 chapters. I _never_ thought I would make it to this point. However, I still have more story to tell, so I hope you will all continue to tag along for the ride. Thank you to all of you faithful supporters – you know who you are! (Pretty much anyone still reading after all this time!) To reward you all, here's some Flack family fluff. Happy New Year, everybody!

**XXX**

Noelle stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, simply watching for a few minutes as Don moved easily around the kitchen, clad in a grey long-sleeved NYPD t-shirt and a pair of old, worn jeans. He was getting everything ready to make pancakes for a Sunday family breakfast, whistling softly, probably – like her – still basking in the lingering memories of making love the night before. As she watched him, she wondered how it was possible that that over a year into their relationship, he could still make her heart race without even trying.

"Like what you see?"

She escaped her musing, her face reddening at having been caught. She met her husband's smirk with a roll of her eyes as she walked further into the room. "Tell me what woman doesn't love a man who cooks," she retorted, not sure his ego needed any more stroking.

"Nice try. I saw you checkin' me out there, Mrs. Flack."

She relented, walking over to him and resting her hands on his chest. "Fine, guilty as charged. Is that some sort of indictable offence, Detective?"

"Better believe it," he replied, his voice low as he closed what distance remained between them.

"Yeah? What's my sentence?"

"If we had more time, I'd say you, naked, in the shower. But since I heard Katie movin' around upstairs, I guess I'll have to settle for a kiss."

Noelle stood up on her tiptoes and leaned into him, meeting his lips in a long, languid kiss.

When they finally came up for air, Don kissed her forehead lightly before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "How're you feelin' this morning?"

"I'm okay. The pain's not too bad. And before you get that furrow in your brow, making love last night didn't make anything any worse." She kissed his cheek, then walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee. "So, should we be worried about Tony? I mean, could last night have been some sort of delayed reaction to the whole thing with Joseph?"

"Trust me, babe, sneaking some girl in when your parents are out is your typical, adolescent behaviour," Don assured her with a hint of a smile.

"So, what do you think? Four weeks, no cell phone, no TV, no video games?" she suggested as she got dishes out to set the table.

"Yeah, I guess that sounds fair."

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him expectantly. "But?"

Don leaned back against the counter, momentarily abandoning the task of preparing breakfast. "It's just – You know, he was so concerned about you before we left last night. He didn't seem like a kid anxious to get us out of here so his girlfriend could come over."

"Well, maybe she knew he was home alone and came over on her own."

"That's what I'm thinkin'."

Noelle sighed. "Either way, he broke the rules."

"I ain't disagreein' with you there. But there's a difference between a premeditated offence and him just going along for the ride. I'm thinkin' four weeks if it was his idea, two if it was hers."

"That's okay with me. We just have to make sure _we're _on the same page so he's not getting any mixed messages about what's acceptable."

Don nodded. "I'm with ya, doll."

Noelle scrunched up her nose a bit. "There's no way he's just going to cop to it."

Flack smirked, nodding towards the second storey. "That's okay. We got ourselves a witness."

She chuckled softly. "Katie?"

"Yeah. I mean, she gave Mac and Stel up without even realizing it. I don't care if Tony promised her all the chocolate ice cream she can eat. There's no way our little girl can keep a secret. If she knows something, she'll tell us."

The two returned to setting the table and getting breakfast started. A few minutes later, they heard Katie babbling to Rocco as she made her way downstairs with her dog at her heels. She ambled into the kitchen in her Winnie the Pooh pajamas with a bright grin, then ran over and threw her arms around her mother's legs in greeting.

"There's she is. Did you sleep well, sweetheart?" Noelle asked as she scooped her up in her arms.

Katie nodded. "We have pancakes?" she asked excitedly.

"You got it, cutie," Flack replied, kissing her cheek.

Noelle sat down on one of the kitchen chairs with her daughter in her lap. "So, were you a good girl for Tony last night?"

"I good! We pway baseball and I win and we wead stories!"

"Wow. It sounds like you had a lot of fun. What stories did you read?"

Flack returned to whisking together the pancake batter, letting his wife take lead on this particular interrogation. If Katie knew anything, he was pretty sure she would crack inside of three questions.

"We wead _One Fish, Two Fish_ and _Gween Eggs an' Ham_! And Tony give me hugs and I have a dwink of water," the little girl explained. "And he tell me 'bout T'anks Ringing."

Noelle and Don looked at one another, trying to figure out what she was saying. Finally, realization dawned on Noelle. "You mean Thanksgiving?"

Katie nodded.

"Yes, that's a holiday, sweetie."

"Lots of food and football," Flack added. "We'll go hang out at my mom and dad's on Thursday and Aunt Ellie and Uncle Sam are even going to be there with Andrew, Eric and the twins. Then on Friday we'll go to Grandma and Grandpa Hansen's. How's that sound?"

"Wocco come too?" Katie pleaded.

"I think Rocco will probably have to stay here. So, did you do anything else fun last night?" Noelle persisted.

Katie shook her head. "Nope." She looked over at her daddy. "We have bwueberries pancakes?"

"I don't think we have any blueberries, cutie."

Noelle bit her lip, moving her gaze to her husband as well.

He shrugged, a little surprised. Perhaps Katie had really slept through the whole thing and had no idea that her big brother had snuck a guest into the house after all.

"Did you give my picture to Uncle Mac and Aunt 'Tella?" Katie asked her mommy then.

"Yes, we did, and they thought it was beautiful," Noelle replied.

The little girl burrowed into her mother's arms with a satisfied smile.

Noli kissed the top of her daughter's head, then set her into her booster seat so she could finish setting the table. She gave Katie her crayons and some paper to keep her occupied, and quirked an eyebrow as she heard movement upstairs. She walked over and nudged Don, nodding towards the stairs. "He's up."

"Show time," Flack grinned.

"You're not going to torture the boy, are you?"

"My dad used to make me squirm. Didn't yours?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Mark was the one that got in trouble in our house. I was a perfect angel."

Don quirked an eyebrow, then dipped his head so Katie couldn't hear what he whispered into her mother's ear: "The woman in my bed last night was no angel."

"Just goes to show that I married a bad boy who's obviously a very bad influence on me. And that's clearly rubbing off on our son." All of a sudden, a stricken look crossed her face. "Oh, God, you don't think they…?"

"He'll be grounded until he's eighteen if he even thought about it, doll. You got my word."

She furrowed her brow. "He's too young to be having sex, Donnie. You need to talk to him."

"C'mon, Nol, I already talked to him about that, and he got it. Look, sneaking a girl into your parents' house is miles apart from having sex with her on their living room couch, okay?"

"I hope to God you're right."

"What sex?"

Noelle's eyes widened in response to their daughter's innocent question. She looked over at Katie, who was looking at them curiously, the expectation of an answer on her face.

Don was as baffled as his wife was as to how to respond. The last thing they needed was Katie walking into all of their Thanksgiving celebrations during the coming week and enlightening _everyone_ with her understanding of sex. "Um, well, cutie – Ya see, sometimes –" He looked to Noelle for help.

"It's something only grown-ups can do," Noli blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh, okay," Katie shrugged, losing interest and turning back to her picture.

The couple shared a look of relief at dodging that particular bullet and returned to getting breakfast ready.

A couple of minutes later, while Don was pouring the first batch of pancake batter onto the grill, Tony came bounding down the stairs. "Morning," he greeted.

"Morning, kid," Don replied with a nod.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Noelle greeted, kissing her stepson's cheek as she passed him with the orange juice.

"Hiya, Tony!" Katie exclaimed happily. "I tell Mommy and Daddy we pway baseball and we wead stories and I have dwink of water."

Tony stopped in his tracks, wondering if his sister was going to spill the rest. He said a silent prayer of thanks when he realized she was finished. "That's right, munchkin," he said gratefully, sliding into his chair at the table. He looked at his parents. "She, uh – She kicked my butt at the baseball game. Big surprise."

"Sounds like you two had an interesting night." Flack flipped the pancakes, then turned and leaned back against the counter. "So, Tony, how're things going with Alyssa?"

Tony had been in the midst of bringing his glass of orange juice to his lips, and shot up another prayer to the man upstairs that he had not taken a sip yet, knowing he would have choked. "Uh, what?"

"You mentioned her a few weeks ago but haven't said much since. Just wondering how it's going."

"You never told me about this Alyssa," Noelle cut in. "Who is she?"

"Just some – She's just a girl at school," Tony explained, setting his glass back down and running a hand through his hair.

"We should meet her if you guys are hanging out together," Noli suggested.

"But –"

"Yeah, she could come over for dinner sometime," Flack agreed.

"That's not –"

"She's weally pwetty!" Katie looked up with a grin.

Don and Noelle both fought the urge to laugh at the "busted" expression on their son's face.

Unable to resist needling a bit further, Flack asked Katie, "Did Tony tell you that, cutie?"

Tony tried to subtly shake his head at his sister, but she was not even looking in his direction. He knew it was over. He buried his head in his hands with a sigh.

"No, silly, she visit Tony last night! She gave him kisses!" Katie recounted proudly.

The room grew quiet. The only sound was Don flipping the pancakes onto a plate, walking over and setting them down in the middle of the table. He then looked at his teenaged son pointedly. "We'll talk about this after breakfast, kid. But you'll be lucky if we don't add on time to your punishment for trying to turn your little sister into an accomplice."

Tony sat back in his chair with a scowl. "It wasn't even my idea!" he argued. "She just showed up!"

"And yet you let her in despite the rules," Don pointed out. He nodded towards Katie. "We'll talk about this after breakfast."

The meal would have passed by in silence had it not been for the little spiller of secrets. Katie took it upon herself to break the tension that had fallen over the grown ups by telling them why they should go to the aquarium and visit the sea otters because they were probably lonely. And could they get some ice cream while they were at it? Don assured her that they would visit the aquarium sometime soon, but the seals would keep the otters company until then. And it was too early in the morning for ice cream. Then as soon as she was done eating, Flack lifted his daughter out of her booster seat and sent her into the living room with her crayons and half-drawn picture to finish at her play table.

Left alone with his parents, Tony took a deep breath and spent a long moment before raising his gaze to meet their jointly disappointed one. "I didn't ask her to come," he muttered in defense.

"Then you're grounded for two weeks instead of the four which we first considered," Don explained.

Tony groaned. "Come on! Two weeks?"

"Yes, two weeks. You come home straight from school, and no TV, no Nintendo, and no texting," Noelle confirmed. "You can keep your phone with you in case you need to call us or we need to get a hold of you. We'll consider a reprieve over Thanksgiving while you're hanging out with your cousins, but we'll see how the next few days go."

He slumped back in his chair.

Don tented his fingers on the table in front of him. "And while we're happy about the fact that you didn't blatantly disregard our rules by inviting her to come over while we were out, you did disobey us, Antonio. We told you when we laid down the rules that there would be consequences if you didn't follow them. This is us following through."

"Fine. Can I go to my room now?"

"No. We're going to talk about this. What's going on with you and Alyssa?" Noelle pressed.

"Nothin'," the teen responded evasively.

"So, Katie was makin' it up when she said she saw you guys kissing?"

Tony's face coloured.

"This is serious, Antonio," said Don.

"Yeah, I got that. You keep using my full name," Tony glowered.

"Don't be a smart-ass, kid. You're fifteen. We get that you're gonna screw up occasionally. But you gotta take some responsibility here. If you want to keep seeing Alyssa, then when your two weeks is up, we have to meet her."

"In the meantime, I want to call her mother. What's her number?" asked Noelle.

"No, come on! Look, fine, ground me. But you don't gotta get Lyss in trouble, okay?" Tony pleaded.

Don and Noelle glanced at one another. They decided to relent on that point for now. They would deal with this Alyssa girl if she was still in the picture once his punishment was over.

Noelle stood up, patting her husband's shoulder. "I'm going to go check on Katie."

Don nodded. He waited until his wife had left the room before he looked back at his stepson. "Tell me you're not having sex with this girl."

"_What?_"

Don raised his eyebrows, demanding an answer.

"No, no, of course not. I swear."

"Good. Keep it that way. You're only fifteen, Tony. You got time."

"I swear, Flack, I wasn't even thinkin' of having sex with her. Look, I just like her. She overheard me telling John that I was going to be babysitting Katie last night and she came by."

"How'd she get here?"

Tony shrugged.

"You let a girl you care about come here on her own on a Saturday night?"

The boy looked down at his hands, fidgeting with a paper napkin on the table in front of him. "Sh-she drove."

"She drove? By herself?"

Tony nodded without glancing up.

Don sat back with a sigh. "That's why she's not in any of your classes. I remember you telling me that. You met her at baseball practice, right? Exactly how old is she?"

"Seventeen."

"She's a senior?"

"Yes."

"Look at me." Don waited until Antonio finally lifted his head and met his gaze. "This is a bad idea, kid. You're gonna get hurt here because there is _no_ way a senior is going out with a sophomore and not expecting something. So you know what you have to do with the next two weeks? Figure out just what _you_ were expecting to get out of this relationship."

"Ah, c'mon, Flack. It's not a big deal. We just – we were just –"

"Fooling around? You really need me to tell you what kind of things can happen when you're just messing around?"

Tony shook his head slowly.

"Look, Nol and I, we love you. You've had a lot of bad stuff come down in your life and we just want to make sure nothin' more happens if we can help it. If it seems like we're being overprotective or strict, we're not. We're just tryin' to do what's best for you. And you know somethin'? _We're_ gonna screw up sometimes, 'cause we're kinda flyin' blind here. But trust me, in this instance, we're right."

"Can I just – Can I go to my room now?"

"Just tell me one more thing: Two weeks ago, when Katie went to stay at my folks and you said you were goin' to Sonny's – That where you really were?"

The teen widened his eyes slightly at the implication. "Yeah, I swear, Flack. I didn't lie to you."

Don nodded. "I believe you. But, I had to ask."

"I'm sorry about last night."

"It's okay. Just don't let it happen again. And no matter what, don't rope your sister into keeping secrets for you. That little girl thinks you walk on water, and if she knew she got you into trouble…"

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm gonna go do my math homework."

"Yeah, sure. Just remember that if you want to talk about anything, we're always here."

"Sure." Tony slid out of his chair and headed out of the room and up the stairs.

Flack sighed, and when Noelle rejoined him moments later, he just shook his head.

She sat down next to him. "So?"

"She's seventeen."

"What? What's she doing with Tony?"

"He's the star of the baseball team. What do ya think she's doin'?"

"Oh God. What'd you say?"

"I warned him off. Which means now he's probably just gonna want her more. But I was just tryin' to be honest with him, that if he keeps this up, he's gonna get hurt. I don't know. I hope I didn't screw this up, Nol." He wrapped an arm around the back of her chair. "He says they haven't had sex and he had no intention of sleeping with her. I believe him."

Noelle scoffed. "Sure. For now. But you called it. She isn't hanging around Tony for his sharp intellect. He's cute and he's the new kid and he's the rising star of the baseball team. So, you know what? Maybe it's good this happened. At least now we know what's going on. Did we screw up by not knowing all of this before?"

"I dunno, babe. He mentioned her a while back. I guess I shoulda asked some more questions. But, you know, since you've been sick, he's been stayin' pretty close to home, so I don't think he's seen her much outside of school. And I asked him about the weekend a couple weeks back when he stayed at Sonny's and he swears that's where he was."

Noelle sighed. "Do you think we were too hard on him? I mean, it hasn't exactly been easy for him lately and –"

"Hey, sweetheart, don't go soft on me now. He broke the rules, so he needs to be punished. He's not just a guest in this house, right? He's a part of this family and that means he needs to respect our authority and have some consideration for his little sister."

"I know you're right. I've just never had to ground one of our children before. Going the conventional route, you usually have a few years of ramp up time to this part."

Don smiled. "Yeah. But I think we're doin' okay, don't you?"

She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah. It still sucks."

"You know what the worst part of is, though?"

"What's that?"

"For the next two weeks, one of _us_ is gonna have to lose to Katie on that stupid baseball video game."


	101. Flack Family Traditions

"You hidin' out, big brother?" Will asked as he walked into the sun room of their parents' home, holding out a bottle of beer for Don.

"Thanks." The elder Flack son gratefully took the proffered drink and knocked back a swig before admitting, "Just needed a break."

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Just been a long few weeks."

"Remember when we were kids, and Mom and Dad would pile us all in the van and take us to Uncle Paul and Aunt Charlotte's for Thanksgiving? There'd be like twenty-five, thirty people there, and it made our house of six seem so damn small and quiet."

Don could not help but smile as he glanced over his shoulder into the living room. "Now our house of six has grown into _that_." Katie was on the floor playing with Will's two children and Laura's two. Tony was enjoying a reprieve from being grounded, playing a hockey video game with Elizabeth's two sons and her husband. Elizabeth's ten year old twin girls were at the dining room table, playing a card game with their grandparents. And Noelle and Laura were chatting in the kitchen with Laura's husband Brian and Will's wife Allison, dinner over but nobody wanting the evening to end.

"How come I had to hear about what Noelle's been going through from _Mom_?" Elizabeth demanded as she joined her two brothers out of the way of the others.

"When exactly was I supposed to tell you? I can't even remember the last time you picked up the phone," Don replied.

Elizabeth was the eldest of the four siblings. And unlike Don, Laura and Will, who had all stayed in the area and made sure to get together whenever they could, she had moved away at the first opportunity. She met Sam during her freshman year at Boston College and married him before she became a junior. She then dropped out of school, had her first of four children at twenty, and had never come back home to stay. If there was a black sheep in the family, Ellie was it. She put in an appearance at every other Thanksgiving and alternate Christmases and barely called in between. Maggie had given up a long time ago on trying to convince her daughter to move back to New York, but Don knew his parents did not like the distance – physical and otherwise – that seemed to exist between their eldest and the rest of the family. Now that he was a parent himself, Don understood how hard it was on his folks.

Elizabeth furrowed her brow. "I'm still a member of this family," she retorted. "You should've called."

"Ellie, I'm sorry if you're pissed, but my priorities the last few weeks have been makin' sure my kids are taken care of and my wife gets through the day."

"I could have come down and helped out or whatever you needed. Damn it, Donnie, I feel like a complete idiot, going on and on at dinner about _Moda Bella _and then finding out she's been dealing with all of this. Hell, I didn't even know she was writing a book!"

Don looked at her incredulously. "Christ. I didn't realize this was all about _you_, sis. I got a hole blown in my chest and I think I saw you at the hospital once. Sorry if you're not exactly on speed dial there."

"You sound like Dad."

"Ouch. I thought we all made a pact not to turn into our parents," Laura kidded as she joined her siblings, oblivious to the tension that had filled the room.

Don rolled his eyes and found himself smirking a little in spite of himself at his little sister's remark.

"What's goin' on?" Laura asked then, sensing that she had definitely interrupted something.

"Did _you_ know about Noelle?" Ellie demanded.

"Of course. But I actually talk to her _and _Don."

"Not you, too."

"Oh, c'mon, Elizabeth. You can't seriously be bustin' Donnie's chops for not goin' out of his way to call you. Not when you couldn't make an effort to come down for Tony's birthday party when we all thought we were gonna lose him. Oh, wait, I forgot, it's not like Tony meant anything to you since tonight's the first you've met him!"

"Wait, Laur, that's not—" Don tried to intercede, seeing the train of family harmony sliding off the track.

"C'mon, it's a freakin' four hour trip! It ain't like you're on the other side of the damn planet," Laura continued to rail at her sister, her accent thickening just like Don's did when he got upset. "Jesus, when my Patrick was in the hospital last year with pneumonia and I was scared to death for my baby, it woulda really helped to hear from my big sister who's got four kids a-her own. And what, I think you returned my message two weeks after the fact! No way I'm takin' your side on this one!"

"Whoa, whoa, this isn't about drawin' lines in the sand," Will cut in, knowing his parents would certainly not be pleased if the one night a year that they got to have their entire family together turned into a free-for-all amongst their children.

Laura and Elizabeth both held their ground, Jump's stubborn expression gracing both of their faces, neither about to back down.

Don sighed. "Ellie, I think what we're sayin' here is it would just be nice if we got more than a birthday card and a year-end appearance all the time. But if that's all you want, then you can't be pissed off it that's all you get in return."

"It was never my intention to not be a part of your lives," Elizabeth finally said defensively. "You guys all matter of a hell of a lot to me, you know."

"Then how 'bout sending a text while you're watchin' Andrew play hockey or at one of Eric's soccer tournaments," Don suggested. "We're all busy, sis. Laura somehow still finds time to drive me crazy."

"Nice, Donnie," Laura scoffed, but her tone had softened.

Noelle would probably be horrified to know that concern over her wellbeing had started a fight, but Don was grateful as it seemed as if a conversation the Flack kids should have had years ago had been hashed out. He grinned at his younger sister.

The tension dissipated and the four were soon talking about Thanksgivings when they were kids, laughing hysterically as Will recalled the year he and Don snuck out after dinner and went joyriding in Jump's Cadillac, only to be pulled over by one of their father's buddies for speeding.

"I remember Lennie saying he'd let us off with a warning, but if he ever caught us again –"

"Yeah, yeah, and then we get home and found out Dad had called him up and _told_ him to pull us over to scare the hell out of us," Will finished.

"He was actually supposed to take you in!" Jump explained, joining his children out in the sun room, a proud smile on his face at seeing them all laughing together. "You must've talked a good game, son," he added, looking at Don.

"Hey, that was all Will."

"We're too old to be grounded, Donnie," William laughed at his brother's attempt to shift the blame.

"Yeah, well, I wish _my_ kids were. Tony's riding out a two week sentence for sneaking a girl in while Noli and I were out last weekend," Don related.

Elizabeth put her arm around her brother. "Welcome to the world of raising teenagers."

"Wow, a chip off the old block there, Donnie," Laura teased him. "Didn't you do that with Tara Ricardo?"

Don shook his head. "Ya made it eighteen years there, squirt. Ya couldn't hold on a few more?"

Jump patted his eldest son the back. "It's a Flack tradition, my boy."

The kids all laughed.

"What was her name, Pop?" Will asked with bemusement.

"Margaret."

"As in _Mom_?" Laura asked in horror.

Don Sr. nodded with a wistful smile. "Your mother and I were teenagers once, too, you know."

"I've just been traumatized," Will muttered.

"Hey, Don, sorry to interrupt," said Allison from the doorway, a concerned expression on her face, "but Noelle just about passed out in the kitchen."

Don furrowed his brow, rushing out past his siblings, sister-in-law and father. He found Noelle on the living room sofa, his mother beside her, and his two brothers-in-law lingering nearby after having helped her over to the couch. He crouched down in front of her. "Hey, babe, you okay?"

She nodded. "Just ridiculously embarrassed at causing a scene."

"There's no such thing in a family," Maggie scoffed.

"Ma's right. You shoulda heard us kids fightin' outside ten minutes ago. Your meds in your purse?"

"Yeah, but –"

Don did not let her say anything more. He found her purse amongst the other handbags left in the front entryway, and dug out her pain medication, telling himself the entire time not to freak out over how pale she had looked. By the time he got back, Allison had fetched Noelle a glass of water. He sat down beside her, a hand moving to her back as she swallowed the pills. "We should go."

"No, no, I'm fine," she said weakly.

"Nice try there, doll, but you ain't fine. Look, Ellie and Sam are here for a few more days. They can stop by the house on the weekend or we can come back, but right now, you need to stop bein' so damn stubborn and let me take you home."

"Just like a Flack," Laura smiled.

Half an hour later, after dozens of hugs and kisses and promises to call, Don got his wife home, an arm firmly around her as they walked through the front door, Tony ahead of them with Katie in his arms.

"I'll take her up to bed," the teenager said to Don, nodding at his sister, while keeping a guarded eye on his mother.

"Thanks, man. Just –"

"No!" Katie refused, the first words she had spoken since she had been spirited from her grandparents' house. "Mommy!"

"Cutie, Mommy's not feeling very well. Tony will take you up and read to you, okay?" Don tried to assuage her.

"No! I wan' Mommy!" She pushed against Tony so he had not choice but to set her down on her feet, and she rushed over to Noelle, throwing her arms around her legs as tears spilled over her cheeks. "I wan' Mommy!"

Don went to protest, but Noelle held him off. She crouched down in front of her daughter. "It's all right, sweetheart. Why don't we go in the living room and sit down for a second, okay?"

Katie nodded, sniffling.

Noelle took her little girl's hands and led her into the living room, sitting down on the couch and pulling her daughter up onto her lap. She rocked her gently as Don and Tony followed them in, Don sitting down next to them on the couch while Tony looked on from the armchair.

"You must be very confused about everything that's been happening the last few weeks, aren't you, sweetie?" Noelle started.

Katie whimpered against her, keeping her head buried in the crook of her mother's neck.

Noelle kissed the top of her head. "And then tonight all of the grown-ups kind of rushed around Mommy, and you were probably a little scared, huh? But I'm fine. I promise."

"Mommy sad," Katie murmured then.

"No, Mommy's not sad. She's just – Honey, you know how your tummy hurts when you eat too much ice cream?"

Katie nodded and raised her eyes to look up at her mother then, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes.

"Well, Mommy kind of feels like that. Except it's not 'cause I ate too much ice cream," Noelle explained.

Don's hand moved to his wife's back and he rubbed it gently, knowing this was hard for her.

"When my tummy hurt, you kiss me better. I kiss better?" Katie offered, her innocence nearly bringing tears to Noelle's eyes.

"You know what, sweetheart? Your kisses always make me feel better. But, unfortunately, it's going to be a while until I get _all_ better. But I am very sorry that you got scared tonight. I promise I'll be more careful so you don't get scared again." Noelle hugged her little girl closed and kissed her cheek. She looked over at Tony then. "And I'm sorry if I freaked you out a bit tonight, too."

Tony shrugged, not about to admit that he was worried.

Don recognized the expression on his son's face, and could not help but smile at how tough he was trying to be for his mother and his sister. He looked back at his wife. "You okay to take her up?"

"Yeah. I'll see you upstairs." She got up with Katie in her arms and headed for the stairs after saying goodnight to Tony.

Don waited until his wife and daughter were gone, then he looked back at his son. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Tony…"

"She's gettin' worse. I know you told me not to worry, but –"

"You don't gotta worry. I meant that. Noelle, she's got bad days and she's got good days. And the problem is, she thinks of everyone before she thinks about herself. So instead of admittin' that she was having a bad day today, she put on a brave face and put herself through dinner with our crazy family. She just overdid it. I promise, she ain't goin' anywhere."

Tony's brow creased and he hesitated for a moment. Finally, he said softly, "I know I broke the rules, Flack. I didn't mean to disrespect you or Noelle."

"I know, kid. You just made a mistake. Guess what? It happens. And it'll probably happen again. Doesn't mean Noelle or I love you any less."

Tony seemed to relax a little in his chair. "You know, I've never been to a real Thanksgiving dinner like tonight before."

Don nodded with a smile. "What'd ya think?"

"It was loud."

At that, Don outright laughed. "Nice way to be tactful, kid."

Tony grinned. "I liked it."

"Yeah, well, it's the one thing about family, Tony. You can scream and yell or talk right over each other, but deep down, you always love each other. Just remember that."

After chatting a while longer, Tony headed on up to bed. Don locked up then went up and checked in on Katie. He was relieved to find that she had settled, her expression peaceful as she dreamed sweet dreams, her thumb in her mouth and her canine protector stretched out across the foot of her bed. Flack patted Rocco's head, then slipped out of the room and wandered down the hall to the master bedroom.

"How're you doin', baby?" Don asked as she found his wife crawling into bed, having changed into a tank top and a pair of his boxers. He locked the door and pulled off his own long-sleeved t-shirt.

"I'm okay. The meds kicked in, so now I just feel like I could sleep for a week. I'm sorry about tonight."

"You need to stop pushing yourself, Nol."

"I know. You're gonna tell my parents about this tomorrow, aren't you?" she cringed.

"Oh, you better believe it. Then your father and Mark will get all overprotective, and I can have the night off," he kidded.

She smiled a little sheepishly.

He walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. "I asked Tony what he thought about dinner with the clan. He said it was loud."

She nodded with a laugh.

"But ya know, I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope that in twenty years, we'll all be together for Thanksgiving, and maybe Katie and Tony'll be off in the kitchen fighting about something or talkin', but whatever, suddenly they'll be laughing about the time she busted him for having a girl over. Who knows, maybe there'll even be a couple grandkids playing in the living room."

"Bite your tongue. I'm much too young to even contemplate the possibility of being a grandmother. But…That is a beautiful picture you paint. And that's what I'm thankful for this year. That I have two beautiful kids and a wonderful husband that I love so much that sometimes I wonder if my heart is going to burst."

Don leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Ditto. Now why don't you get some sleep? We got another dinner tomorrow, and if I've figured out anything, it's that you won't cancel no matter how bad a day you're having."

"I'm not giving up a second with our family."

"You're stubborn, you know that?"

"Hey, I take bearing the name Flack very seriously."


	102. Trouble

Don Flack, Jr. had been a homicide detective long enough to be impervious – at least outwardly – to even the city's most vicious crimes. However, as he stood over the body of a four year old girl in a run down Harlem apartment, he felt sick. His thoughts always went to Katie when he worked cases like this, and today was no exception. He could not help but let his mind wander to his own little girl, his fists unconsciously clenching. He knew if anyone ever dared lay a hand on her, he would ensure there were no pieces of them left to be found, screw the consequences.

"You okay, man?" Danny asked as he stepped up beside his best friend.

"Peachy," Flack deadpanned.

"Justifiable homicide," Messer muttered.

Don turned and looked at him incredulously.

"I mean what I'd like ta do to the bastard who did _this_." He shook his own head disgustedly. Like Don, fatherhood had made him feel these kinds of crimes more deeply. It was impossible now to leave them behind at the end of the day, even if they put the sick assailant behind bars when all was said and done. Whenever he would like at his own children, he would see the innocence that had been lost by the latest victim.

Flack nodded at his best friend's comment. "Maybe dropping Katie off at the Lab wasn't such a good idea. I don't ever want her to know somethin' like this could happen, and one day she's gonna see somethin' she shouldn't – figure out that one of the faces on the monitors or some of the pictures on one of your desks belongs to the scum that do things like this."

"Ah, she'll be fine. Mac's got this weird soft spot for that kid and takes bein' over-protective to a whole new level when she's around." Danny set his case down and crouched down beside it to get his camera ready. "Where's Hansen anyway?"

"She had a meeting with her editor. She got a surgery date, so she felt she should tell him what's been goin' on. I wasn't even supposed to be on secondary call, but she'd just been out the door ten minutes when Hill called me in."

"You know this time a-year. Soon as Black Friday hits and the Christmas season is in full swing, it ain't right unless the crime rate skyrockets."

"Yeah, well, if Cap thinks he can call me in this year on Christmas, he'll have to deal with my wife. Tony told Katie all about Santa Claus and Christmas, so now she's already countin' down the days," Don explained, a smile crossing his face at the thought. "Noli bought her one of those chocolate-filled Advent calendars to open once the first hits, and she keeps askin' me how many sleeps are left 'til that _and_ the big, jolly guy's visit." But then as his eyes traveled back down to the innocent victim on the ground, the somber mood returned and he sighed.

"I tell ya, Flack, you wouldn't be able to stop me if someone hurt Linds or one of my kids," Danny warned, taking the first photograph of the scene.

**XXX**

Tony opened his locker and set his algebra book up on the shelf before grabbing his history text book. He slammed the door shut, and nearly jumped when he found Alyssa standing there with a hand on her hip and an expectant expression on her face. "Oh. Uh, hey, Lyss."

"You have a nice Thanksgiving?" she asked.

"Sure, yeah. You?"

She shrugged. "It was okay. How come you haven't called me?"

Tony hesitated. He did not want to admit that he had been grounded. And with Flack's words ringing in his ears over the past week, he had been trying to avoid her while he figured things out. Obviously, time was up. "Listen, Lyss, I think we should maybe cool it for a while."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "You're breaking up with me?" she asked incredulously.

"I just – My stepmom's not doing so great right now, and Flack works these crazy hours, so they need me around the house to help with my little sister and stuff," he explained, his rationalization sounding a little less hollow than he expected since it was partly true.

"Doesn't mean we can't still hang out at lunch and after school. C'mon, Tony. My dad's goin' away this weekend and he's letting me stay home by myself. You can tell your folks you're going to Sonny's or John's and come over. We can hang out…" She moved closer, reaching up and running a finger down his chest as she lowered her voice and said, "and do other stuff."

Tony felt his breath hitch, his heart start to pound. She was really beautiful and he could not deny the ego stroke to have someone like her interested in a guy like him. And when she had kissed him last weekend, he had felt all sorts of cool things. "I, uh – I don't know," he muttered weakly.

She smiled with a hint of satisfaction, knowing he was not as intent on dumping her as he had been only moments before. "Well, think about it, okay, baby? I have to get to class. See ya later." She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then turned and headed off down the hall.

Tony leaned his head back against his locker, shutting his eyes with a long sigh.

"Your old man knows what he's talkin' about," said Sonny, stepping up beside his best friend. "Best thing you can do is forget you ever laid eyes on Alyssa Montgomery."

Tony opened his eyes and scowled at his friend, regretting that he had ever told him about the events that led up to him being grounded. "Ah, man, shut up."

"C'mon, she's bad news. She's been with half of the football team. If she's so great, why do you think none of 'em kept her around?"

"It's just rumours, man. Like the one about my Uncle Joseph bein' some kind of serial killer. You buyin' that one, too, now?"

"Hey, I'm on your side, man. Just let me remind you that she already got you a two-week sentence. You wanna spend the rest of your sophomore year grounded? She's trouble, Tony. So, don't say I didn't warn you." With that, Sonny headed off in the opposite direction Alyssa had only moments before.

Tony groaned. He pushed himself off his locker and headed down the hall. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from Henry VIII in history class today.

**XXX**

Stella worked diligently, analyzing the contents on the slide under the microscope. Katie sat atop the counter in the Trace Lab just a foot away, paging through one of her picture books, pointing occasionally at an animal and naming it, or asking Stella why giraffes had spots or how elephants sneezed. Stel was more than amused by the little girl's questions. Often she was not sure herself of the answers. Sometimes she admitted she did not know, sometimes she made up something plausible, and sometimes she asked Katie what she thought and marveled at the child's imagination.

"Aunt 'Tella?"

Stella did not even glance up this time when the toddler uttered her name. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"You're very pretty!" Katie exclaimed very seriously.

Stella almost blushed at the weight that seemed to be behind the little girl's words as she raised her eyes and looked at Don and Noelle's daughter. "Oh, honey, thank you. You know, you are a very beautiful little girl yourself. I bet you're going to break a lot of hearts one day."

"Don't let Flack hear you say that," kidded Mac as he walked into the lab. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't plan to let her date until she's in her thirties." He turned to Katie then. "How's my favourite lab assistant?"

"I good," she grinned. "Daddy go way so I come here. Aunt Lindy here, too?"

"No, your Aunt Lindsay went to visit her mother and father in Montana for a few days with Matteo and Olivia."

"They come back before Santa comes?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, they'll be home long before Christmas," Mac assured her.

That satisfied the little girl, who returned to her book while Mac and Stella discussed the case they were working on, the twosome speaking cryptically so she did not hear something she shouldn't.

"You know, the two sisters look almost identical. I mean, the resemblance is so strong that it would not have been impossible for Martin to mistake one for the other, especially since he only saw her in the dimly lit bar," Stella hypothesized.

Mac nodded, considering her theory. "John could have easily lied for his wife, and she could have been the one Martin saw in the bar, which would mean that Erica was free to, uh…" He cleared his throat, nodding towards Katie.

Stella understood exactly how he had intended to finish his sentence. And she knew Flack would not appreciate them discussing how a wife had killed her husband in front of the impressionable – and curious – little girl.

However, Katie had not been completely oblivious to their conversation. "What resemb'ance?" she asked, looking up from her picture book.

"It means that someone looks like someone else," Stella explained. And before she could think it through, she added, "Like how Olivia looks just like Lindsay, while Matteo looks just like Danny."

Katie considered the response then raised her eyebrows curiously. "Who I wook like?"

Stella and Mac looked at each as they considered how to approach that particular question. How did two scientists honestly answer the inquiry posed by an incredibly bright little girl who also happened to be adopted? It certainly was not their place to try to explain anything.

"Hey everyone. There's my girl!"

Katie's eyes brightened as her mother walked into the lab. She held out her arms and gleefully allowed Noelle to pick her up and hug her tightly. "Mommy! Daddy go work so I visit Uncle Mac and Aunt 'Tella!"

"So I discovered when I checked my messages. I hope you were a good girl," Noelle commented, pulling back and looking at her daughter pointedly.

Katie nodded.

Noelle kissed her cheek affectionately, then looked at Mac and Stella then. "Thank you so much for watching her. I know it was short notice so I'm sorry Don saddled you with our little Curious George."

"It was no problem at all. We love having Katie around," Stella replied truthfully.

"I wook like you, Mommy?" Katie queried then, looking at her mother, her expression suggesting she expected an answer.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?"

"We were talking about family resemblances in relation to a case and well, Katie started asking questions," Stella explained, her tone apologetic at the can of worms they had opened.

"Oh." Noelle bit her lip. "Well, we both have brown eyes, don't we, sweetie? So I guess you kind of look like me. We should probably go home. We've taken up enough of Mac and Stella's time."

"Sorry if we stirred something up," Mac apologized.

"No worries. She'll have moved to asking if frogs have lips by the time we hit the parking garage."

"'Course fwogs have lips, silly!" the little girl retorted a little indignantly.

Noelle smirked, told Katie to thanks Mac and Stella for their time and watched as her little one offered them hugs and kisses, then took her home.

Walking through the front door, Noli barely had Katie's coat and boots off before she noticed her stepson sulking in the living room, his math homework out on the coffee table but his expression betraying that his mind was somewhere else, probably a million miles away. "Hey, you. How was your day?"

He shrugged.

Noelle rolled her eyes slightly at his sullenness. "That good, huh? Did you get your English paper back?"

"Yeah," Tony replied.

"And?"

"I got an A."

"Well, I can understand how that could be upsetting. Donnie and I were really hoping for a D," she deadpanned. "Come on. What's going on, honey?"

He sighed. "I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I know I'm your parent and all, but I might actually be able to help."

He hesitated for a moment. Just as he changed his mind and blurted out, "Do you think Alyssa's using me?" Katie ran into the room, jumped up onto the couch next to her brother, and asked, "Do I wook like Mommy or Daddy?"

Noelle's eyes widened. "You guys don't ask easy questions, do you?"


	103. Answers

**A/N – So sorry for the long break between updates. As often seems to happen, real life has once again reared its ugly head! With a long weekend coming up, hopefully I'll be able to get another couple chapters up. Thanks to everyone for their patience.**

* * *

Noelle gaped at both of her children for a moment, their questions both hanging in the air. So much for hoping Katie would forget about what Mac and Stella had been talking about back at the Lab. And the stricken look on Tony's face nearly broke her heart. Where was Don when she needed him? She bit her lip, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Before she could even figure out where to start, Tony muttered, "Forget it," shutting his math text and getting up, brushing past both his stepsister and his stepmother as he booked it up to his room.

Noelle sighed. "Listen, Katie, I need to go talk to Tony for a moment. We'll talk about your question when I come back, all right?"

Katie nodded. "Can I have some app' juice?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. Let's go get you a glass of apple juice then I'll go see if I can fix your brother's broken heart."

The toddler's eyes widened in horror. "Tony heart bwoke?"

She knew it was the wrong reaction, so Noelle fought back a chuckle at her little girl's query. Katie was so smart for her age that sometimes Noelle forgot that she was still so young and took everything literally. She could only imagine what her daughter was picturing in her head right now. "Oh, honey. He's not really hurt. I mean, his heart's not really physically broken. He's just really sad about something right now."

Katie's eyebrows knit in confusion.

Noelle shook her head. "It's grown-up stuff. You don't need to worry about it, okay? At least I hope you don't for a long, long time," she muttered under her breath. "C'mon, hon, let's get that apple juice and you can play with Rocco for a while."

After getting Katie settled at her play table with her crayons, some paper and her dog, Noelle headed upstairs and rapped softly on the door to Tony's bedroom.

"Come in," he called back, his tone full of resignation.

Noli pushed open the door, only taking a couple steps inside in case he really did not want to be bothered. She leaned against the door frame, looking at him sympathetically as he set aside the comic book he had been reading while stretched out on his bed. "Something happen at school today?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"Listen, Tony, I don't know Alyssa so I'm not even going to try to get inside her head and speak for her. But I'll tell you what I do know, and that is that she would be crazy not to like you and want to be with you. However, with that said, here's what else I know: she's seventeen, she's a senior and in a few months, she's going to be graduating and moving on to whatever comes next. Relationships when you're at different stages in your lives are very difficult to maintain. So, regardless of her motivation for being with you right now, I honestly don't see where this can go."

Tony absorbed what she had said and finally nodded, acknowledging the validity of his stepmother's argument.

"Honey, you're a great guy, and any girl would be lucky to have you. I'm just not sure that Alyssa's that girl."

He sighed. "This whole thing sucks."

She nodded, walking further into his room and sitting down on the edge of his bed. "I wish I could tell you it's going to get easier. But no matter what, you're not alone in any of this, even if it sometimes feels like that. Don and I are always going to be here."

Tony took a deep breath, then looked at Noelle. "Alyssa's dad is going away next weekend and she's gettin' to stay by herself. She invited me over."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't worry. I wasn't even considering going. Even before – I knew it was a bad idea. But now…" He furrowed his brow. "I know I gotta break up with her."

She reached over and put a comforting hand on his leg. "I'm really sorry, sweetheart."

Downstairs, Don let himself into the house, weary after working all day on the case of the four year old murder victim. The CSIs were still processing evidence, no leads yet evident. He hated knowing the perp was still out there walking the streets, but he also knew that there was nothing more he could do tonight.

Seeing Katie colouring in the living room, he felt some of the tension leave his body. He hung up his coat and toed off his shoes before locking his gun and badge away in the box on the top shelf of the closet. He then walked into the living room, crouching down beside his daughter and greeting her with a kiss to the cheek. "How's my favourite cutie?"

She giggled, setting down her crayon and throwing her arms around her father. "I miss you, Daddy!"

"Ah, I missed ya too. Did you have fun at the lab with Mac and Stella?"

She nodded excitedly.

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'm glad. So, where's your ma and Tony?"

"Tony sad and his heart bwoke so Mommy fixing it."

Don raised his eyebrows. Katie had a crazy imagination, but he had a feeling that she could not make something like that up – let alone have known the phrase if she had not heard someone else use it, so he correctly concluded that something had finally happened with Alyssa. He felt a pang of hurt for his son who seemed to have developed a knack for racking up the broken hearts. "I'm going to go up and see if everything's all right. You'll be okay down here with Rocco for a few more minutes?"

"'k, Daddy."

"That's my girl." He kissed the top of her hair then stood back up.

"Daddy?" Katie asked before he could get out of the room.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"I wook like you?"

Don stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

"Livvie wook like Aunt Lindy and Matteo wook like Uncle Danny! I wook like you or Mommy?" she asked, hoping this time someone might actually answer her question.

"Oh, well, you, uh – I dunno, sweetie. I'm gonna have to think about that for a few minutes." Don made a quick exit and headed for the stairs, leaving behind a now disgruntled two and a half year old.

Reaching the second storey, Don quickly discovered that Tony was in the shower. He headed down the hall and walked into the master bedroom, where he found Noelle pulling on one of his old Academy t-shirts over a pair of yoga pants. "I don't know if it's good when a cop's wife has a penchant for stealing," he teased her, closing the door behind him.

"Borrowing. And you're welcome to take it back yourself later on," she replied suggestively.

"In that case I'll let ya off with a warning this time." He smirked and greeted her with a brief yet passionate kiss. "So, Katie told me Tony's got a broken heart. Something happen with Alyssa?"

She filled him in on what had happened and how she had handled the situation, including Tony's realization that he should break things off with his girlfriend. Though Don was sad his stepson was upset, he knew it was for the best that the relationship with Alyssa seemed to be ending. His wife then told him about what Katie had overheard Mac and Stella talk about at the lab and her sudden interest in family resemblances.

"That explains why she just asked me who she looked like. So, how do you want to handle this?"

"She's not even three. How much is she even going to understand?" Noelle bit her lip then, running her hands through her hair

"What is it, doll?"

"I guess I was just hoping she could be ours for a little while longer."

"What are you talkin' about? C'mon, Nol, she _is_ ours."

"You know what I mean. As soon as the adoption is out there on the table, Oksana and Viktor are part of her reality and we're no longer her only mommy and daddy."

Don walked over to her, ducking his head a bit to meet her gaze. "Sweetheart, we owe Oksana and Viktor a debt of gratitude because without them, we wouldn't have our kid. But they're not her parents."

She nodded. "So how do we explain that to our baby?"

"We'll just have to play it by ear and see how much she understands."

Noelle took a breath. "Well, she's not giving up on this question of who she looks like, so I guess this is our opening."

Don changed out of his suit into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then they headed back downstairs to talk to their little girl.

Tony was back in living room, working on his math homework while keeping an eye on his sister. He had noticed upon his return that she seemed upset about something, though she had refused to tell him what was wrong. He was relieved their parents were now here.

"Hey, kid," Don greeted Antonio. "Heard you had kind of a rough day. You okay?"

"Just shoulda listened to you in the first place," he muttered.

"Unfortunately, sometimes you gotta figure things out for yourself, man."

Tony nodded. He glanced towards Katie then. "Something's up with her. She won't talk to me."

"I think we might've put her off one too many times. And we might actually need your help." Don explained.

Noelle walked over and knelt down beside Katie at her play table. She reached out and smoothed Katie's chestnut curls. "Sweetheart, I know you're probably a little mad at Mommy and Daddy because we keep avoiding your question, huh? I'm really sorry about that because you're very important to us. And we'd like to talk now if you want to."

Katie set down her crayon and looked at her parents with a bit of a lingering pout.

"You asked who you looked like," Noelle continued.

Katie nodded.

"Did you hear that when Uncle Mac and Aunt Stella were talking earlier? About how sometimes people look like other people in their family?"

The little girl nodded again.

Noelle pulled her daughter over onto her lap, kissing her cheek. "Do you think Tony looks like Mommy or Daddy?"

Don sat down on the arm of the chair nearby, knowing where his wife was going and figuring it was probably the best approach.

Katie looked from Tony to Don and then Noelle and furrowed her brow. She shook her head.

"That's because Tony came to live with us when he was big. He didn't grow in Mommy's tummy like Riley did in Aunt Jennie's, or like Matt and Livvie did in Aunt Lindsay's."

"So who Tony wook like then?" Katie inquired.

Tony shrugged. "I think I kinda look like my real mom," he replied.

"You have a _other _mommy?" the little girl asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, I do. But she couldn't take care of me anymore, and after my grandma died, I didn't have anywhere to go until Flack and Noelle let me come live here with you. I got lucky 'cause now they're my parents and I got me a little sister, too."

"Do you remember that, sweetheart? When Tony came to live with us?" Noelle asked. "We were so happy to have him here with us. And we love him a whole lot, don't we?"

Katie grinned.

"You know, sometimes mommies or daddies just can't take care of their children, and so those children have to go live with _other _mommies and daddies, like Tony had to come live with us. When that happens, it means that those kids might not look like the moms and dads they live with. That's because of a whole bunch of boring science stuff that we'll let Uncle Mac or Aunt Stella or Aunt Lindsay explain to you one day. But the important thing to know is that just because a little boy or a little girl doesn't look like their mommy or daddy, it doesn't mean that they're not loved just as much as if they did," Noli explained. She fixed her gaze on Katie to see if she was understanding this at all.

Ekaterina scrunched up her nose as she tried to figure out exactly what her mother was telling her. Then as if reminding Don and Noelle that she was too smart for her own good, she asked, "_I _gwow in your tummy or a other mommy's tummy?"

"Christ. This kid's got better deductive reasoning skills than most of the jokers I work with, " Don muttered.

Noelle rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her daughter. "You grew in someone else's tummy," she explained gently, ignoring her husband's comment. "I couldn't grow a baby in mine. But I always wanted a little girl to love. So I traveled to a really far away place to find you and you came to live with me, and then we met your daddy. So, to answer the question you asked before, you don't really look like me _or_ Daddy. You look just like yourself, our perfect little Katie."

Katie took in the admission. And then she shrugged. "'k." And with that, she picked her crayon back up and turned back to the picture she was creating.

Noelle looked to Don and Tony, a little stunned.

Don shrugged with a smile. Their daughter might be smart, but she was also a typical little kid with the attention span of a gnat. Noli had given her an answer to her question and that was all she wanted.

Noelle kissed the top of Katie's head, then got up and walked over and slumped down on the arm chair. "That went well?"

Don chuckled softly. "I think we probably could've avoided the whole adoption discussion and just told her she doesn't look like either of us," he mused.

"Now you tell me," she muttered.

"Oh, and I'd pass off the DNA discussion to Hawkes. He finds that stuff scintillating."


	104. Fate

Don scooped Katie up in his arms and carried her upstairs to her room, ready for the fight he was sure was about to ensue as soon as he tried to get her clothes changed. "We need to make sure you're nice and warm for when Uncle Mark takes you skating with Erin, okay?" he explained as a preemptive strike as he set her down on her bed. He then started to rifle through her dresser to find one of her heavy sweaters and a pair of thick corduroy pants.

Katie sighed as if this was all cutting into her busy schedule of creating art and reading stories and babbling on about why Santa should fly in an airplane instead of a magic, reindeer-led sleigh.

Don fought back a smirk. His daughter was turning into quite the drama queen. He had to admit that he and Noelle were lucky – she had not really gone through the "terrible twos". Rarely were there temper tantrums or any hands-on-hip stances of defiance. She would just sigh to let them know she was not happy with the direction things were going. He knew, though, that her strong will probably meant that life was going to be a challenge once she hit adolescence, but for right now, it was rather amusing.

Finding two of her favourite sweaters, Don pulled them both out and held them up. "Which one, sweetheart?"

Katie pointed to the hot pink one. However, despite getting to choose the article of clothing, she still struggled when her father tried to put it on over her Dora the Explorer t-shirt and tan cords.

"You are your mother's daughter, aren't ya, cutie? Always half-way onto whatever comes next," he laughed, zipping up her sweater before dropping a kiss on her nose. "There. Now you won't get cold while you're on the rink. Promise to be a good girl for your uncle?"

Katie nodded vehemently. "I be good. Me an' Erin go skate and we have hot choc'late and we kiss Wiley and…"

They doorbell rang downstairs, cutting off the little girl's list of plans for the afternoon. Don picked her up with an amused grin, grabbed the bag he had packed with her helmet, skates, and a change of clothes off the floor, then took her downstairs. He opened the front door to his brother-in-law, grateful for the free afternoon he and Noelle were being given.

"Hey, guys," Mark greeted, shaking Don's free hand before kissing his niece's cheek.

"Thanks for doin' this, man," Flack replied.

"Ah, my pleasure. What's the point of owning my own company if I can't take an afternoon off every once in a while to spend with a couple of my favourite girls?" He tweaked Katie's nose then looked at Don. "Speaking of which, how's my sister doing?"

"Unfortunately, she's having a bad day. She's upstairs sleeping right now."

Mark furrowed his brow. "There anything I can do?"

"I wish, man. Though this helps, takin' Katie for the afternoon. I keep tryin' to convince Nol she shouldn't feel guilty when she doesn't feel up to doin' everything, but you know your sister. But knowing Katie's out having fun will make her feel a little better." As Don set Katie down and got her all bundled up in her parka, he continued, "Anyway, looks like right now, all we can do is wait for February. They've got her on a cancellation list, but Dr. Langdon's office suggested that even then, it'll be after the holidays at the earliest." He looked at his daughter pointedly then. "You make sure you listen to everything Uncle Mark tells you, okay, cutie?"

"I pwomise, Daddy." She looked up at her uncle. "Did you gwow in your mommy's tummy or a other mommy's tummy? I gwow in a _other_ mommy's tummy!"

Mark quirked an eyebrow with a hint of amusement playing on his lips as he looked at his brother-in-law.

"Uh, yeah, she was at the Lab yesterday and Stella and Mac were talking about family resemblances. Noelle then tried explaining the whole adoption thing. This is what she's glommed on to," Don explained.

Mark chuckled lightly. "Ah. At least she took it well."

"Yeah, well, we'll see how it goes when she starts to really understand." He kissed Katie's cheek then sent her off with Noelle's brother.

After checking in with the precinct to see if there were any leads on the case of the murder of the four year old he'd been working, he headed upstairs to check on his wife. He gingerly opened the door to the master bedroom, expecting to find Noelle where he had left her a couple of hours earlier, curled up in bed, sound asleep in a tank top and a pair of his boxers. Instead, she was sitting up with her knees hugged to her chest, having just awoken, looking a little lost in her thoughts.

She gave her husband a small smile as he walked further into the room and she became aware of his presence. "Hey."

"Hey, beautiful. Mark just left with Katie."

"Did you dress her warm enough?"

"Yeah. Much to her dismay, of course." He sat down on the bed beside her, reaching out and laying a hand on her knee. "So, how're you doin'?"

"Better now." She knelt up in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him gently. "You didn't have to let me sleep."

"It's probably the best thing for you. Besides, I was around for Katie. And all that really matters to me is that you're comfortable."

She leaned her forehead against his. "You really are the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Then it's a good thing you'll never have to find out," he replied seriously, some real weight behind his words. He had no intention of ever going anywhere. He felt the exact same way, unsure of what he would do without her. Though they were just coming up on their first anniversary, he really could not remember what life had been like before, and he certainly had no desire to go back to whatever that was. He knew that marriages for law enforcement personnel were often more likely to fail than to succeed, but he was determined to not become a statistic. His parents had made it work and he knew that what he and Noelle had was strong enough to make it through anything. Of course, he had come to realize that it was not easy. But if he had learned anything, it was that nothing worth having was easy.

"I have some work I need to get done, but I was going to go jump in the shower first. Care to join me?"

"That's a rhetorical question, right?" he teased her.

She grinned, leaning over and kissing him languidly.

**XXX**

"I got your text," Alyssa said with a smile as she met up with Tony by the baseball diamond after the last bell. She leaned up to kiss him, her brow furrowing when he took a step back.

"Lyss, no. We gotta talk," he said, looking away when she pouted, trying to hold his ground though he could feel felt his defenses already weakening.

"Not this again, Tony. C'mon. What's your problem?"

He hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath for strength and returning his gaze back hers. "The problem is that this is just a really bad idea."

"A bad idea? Where's this coming from, huh? Your folks? Come on, they don't even know me. And they're not your real parents anyway. You don't have to listen to them."

"They might not be my biological parents, but they're as real a family as I've ever had. So, yeah, I do gotta listen to them. But this isn't even about them. Look, you're gonna be goin' away to college next year. What's gonna happen then?"

She looked at him incredulously, running a hand through her blonde hair. "Next _year_? I'm just talking about right now, Tony. About having some fun." She reached up and stroked a finger down his cheek. "I promise, it'll be worth your while."

Tony pulled away, though it took everything in him to do so. "That's just it, Alyssa. What you're talkin' about, that's not me. Look, you're really beautiful and I'm probably crazy, but I don't think I want to have your kind of fun. So – Look, this obviously ain't goin' anywhere, and I don't mean to hurt you or anything, but I just think – I don't think we should see each other anymore."

Alyssa's eyes narrowed. "You're seriously saying no here? Do you have any idea what you're giving up? That other guys would kill for what I'm offering?"

He sighed. "I think I'd be giving up a hell of a lot more if we kept this up and it went any further. C'mon, Lyss, you're better than this. You're better than what people say about you. Why can't you see that?"

"I don't care what people say about me, Tony. But you should care about what they'll be sayin' about _you _when I'm through!" And with that, she stalked off.

Tony shook his head, knowing it was probably not an idle threat she had just made in parting. Unfortunately, he knew there was probably nothing he could do about it but wait it out. The fact was, though, that he did not really care what people thought about him. As it was, a lot of the students at the school thought he was the nephew of a deranged serial killer (the stories about Joseph getting more elaborate and incredible with each passing day), and that had done little to his reputation but make him seem a little mysterious and dangerous. He doubted anything Alyssa said could make things any better or worse.

"What was that all about?" John asked as he and Sonny caught up with their friend, Alyssa now just a speck in the distance as she headed down the sidewalk away from the school.

Tony shrugged. "I just broke up with Alyssa."

"Thank God. She's trouble, man," Sonny said, relieved to hear Tony had finally come to his senses and ended things.

"Yeah, well, I'm starting to get that. Expect to hear some nasty rumours about me by tomorrow, though. She's really pissed."

"Ah, don't worry. No one's gonna listen to anything Alyssa Montgomery has to say," John assured his friend.

"I hope you're right," Tony muttered, hitching his backpack up higher on his shoulder as the three friends started off for home.

**XXX**

"So?" Noelle asked impatiently.

Don held up his hand, his eyes glued to the printed pages in front of him.

The two were seated on the living room couch, Noelle curled up at the end watching Don's face intently as he read through the latest pages of her book. Whether it was years of experience in leading interrogations where he did not want to give anything away, or just some natural talent he was drawing on to drive her crazy, she had no idea what he was thinking.

When she noticed his brow furrow a little, she leaned forward. "What?"

He smirked, glancing up just long enough to say. "Relax, doll. You're gonna give yourself an aneurysm or something."

She sighed, sitting back and crossing her arms, waiting for him to finish. She was pretty sure now he was just stalling as a means of torture. But the fact was that his opinion really mattered to her. He was the first to read anything she wrote, long before she sent it off to her editor.

Finally, Don set the pages down on the coffee table and turned to look at her. "I don't know, babe –"

"What?" she cut in. "What are you talking about? Is it the dialogue on the last page there?"

"Nol, chill. I just meant, I don't know how you weren't published long before now. This stuff is really good. I mean, I know I've got no literary degree or anything, but as a reader, I know what I like, and this stuff is freakin' amazing."

She took a breath, appraising him. "You're not just saying that because you're my husband and you're afraid I'm gonna deny you sexual favours or something, are you?"

He chuckled. "No. I'm being completely honest. Your work is good, sweetheart. This book is gonna fly off the shelves."

She blushed a little at his praise then. "You really think so? You're seriously not thinking that we were crazy when we decided I should quit my job and do this?"

Don reached over and took her hand. "Honey, you were wasting your talent working at Fisher-Mathews. This is what you're supposed to be doing. I just hope you don't start wondering if you could do better than a cop on a city salary once you're the most sought-after writer in New York."

She smiled, sliding over closer to him on the couch. "It doesn't matter how good this book does, Donnie, I'll always be proud of what you do and consider myself lucky to be your wife." She bit her lip. "But I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Spencer-Carmichael's given me a huge break to write this novel, but we don't know it's going to sell once it's published."

"Doll, it's gonna sell," he said without any uncertainty.

"I'm not talking about the multiple copies our family's are gonna buy," she kidded.

He flashed her his dimpled grin. "Okay, so maybe subtract a thousand from the final total, but you know what I'm sayin'. This book's gonna sell." He leaned over and kissed her gently.

Noelle moved into his arms and they were still making out a few minutes later when the front door opened.

"Oh, uh, hey. Sorry."

They sprang apart at the sound of Tony's voice. Noelle's face flushed at being caught, but Don fought back a smirk. "Hey, kid," he greeted. "How was school?"

Tony walked further into the room and slumped down on the armchair, shaking his head as if trying to get the image of his parents making out out of his mind. "It was okay."

Noelle narrowed her eyes, sensing that there was something bothering him, and after their discussion the night before, she was pretty sure she knew what it was. "Did you talk to Alyssa?"

He nodded slowly.

"How'd it go?" Don asked.

"It sucked," the boy replied dejectedly. "I told her we shouldn't see each other anymore. She wasn't very happy."

"It's never easy to break up with someone, but you did the right thing," Don assured him. "It'll get better."

Tony sighed. "I hope so. Where's Katie?"

"Oh, Mark took the afternoon off to take Erin skating and decided to take Katie with them," Noelle replied. "She'll be home for dinner."

"Cool. Well, I've got some algebra homework and I have to work on my history essay, so I'll be up in my room."

"All right. We'll call you when dinner's ready."

He nodded, then got up and retrieved his backpack from the entryway before making his way upstairs.

"Think this whole Alyssa thing is over?" Noelle asked her husband once they were alone again.

"Hopefully."

"Did I tell you? Tony said yesterday that her father was going away this weekend, so she invited Tony over since she was going to be home alone."

"You're serious?"

"Yep. Tell me there's any question what that girl was after."

"Jesus. Gotta hand it to our kid, Nol, he's got guts, walkin' away like that."

"I know. I'm proud of him. I just hope he can put this whole thing behind him now." She turned around and sat back in her husband's arms. "I would _not _want to be a teenager again."

"You kiddin'? You couldn't pay me enough to go back there. What do ya think woulda happened if we had met back then?" Don asked.

"You were a junior when I was a freshman. You wouldn't have given me a second look."

"I've seen pictures, doll. Trust me, I woulda done a hell of a lot more than look," he teased her.

"Really. Well, you wouldn't have gotten laid in the back of your dad's Caddy on prom night, so things probably worked out for the best," she kidded.

Don laughed. "Considering the experience, I'm not sure I agree with you. Although I gotta say this: if hooking up with you back in high school meant not bein' with you now, then I ain't sorry about the fact that it took you nearly spilling a drink on me in Sullivan's to get us here. By the way, you did that on purpose, right?"

"You mean because I just _had _to meet you?"

He shrugged with a bit of a smug smirk.

She laughed incredulously. "If that's what it takes to get you through the day, you just keep telling yourself that, Detective."


	105. Tunnel Vision

Don slammed the phone down in frustration, tired of hitting brick walls. In the last few days, there had been no leads in the case of the four year old girl murdered in Harlem. He also had three other open cases sitting on his desk, one of which was about to turn cold and earn him the wrath of his captain. Christmas was coming and all he wanted right now was a city where people did not feel the need to shoot, stab, poison or hit other people over the head with blunt objects.

"Flack, I got something," said Danny as he walked into the pit and headed over to his best friend's desk, an evidence folder in his hands. "Case to case hit. DNA from the scene was found at the scene of two other homicides."

"You're kidding me. Where?"

"Both in Jersey City."

"That's why we didn't get anything 'til now. Christ. How old are the other victims?"

Danny took a breath, knowing Flack was going to have the same irate reaction he'd had an hour earlier. "Both of them were four years old, both girls."

"Son-of-a-bitch. We got a serial child killer on the loose? When were the other two murders?" Don asked, taking the folder from Messer and looking over the report.

"Uh, one was about seven, eight weeks ago, the other three and a half weeks back."

Don looked over what they had. "But we still got nothing. No name attached to the DNA, no other solid leads, all open cases..."

"I'll call over to the Jersey City P.D. and see if they can send us what they have."

"You know what? Let me take care of that, Mess." Don stood up and grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair, sliding it on. As he opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out his gun, he added, "I'll be back in a couple hours. Fill Mac in, and keep this quiet. Last thing we need three weeks before Christmas is to create a panic in the city. Text me if you get anything else."

"Yeah, you got it."

Battling mid-day traffic as he headed through the Holland Tunnel, Don's entire being was tense. He could not help but think about Katie when there was a killer out there targeting innocent children. He could only imagine what the victims' parents were going through. Not only had they lost their children, but the bastard who had robbed them of their innocence was still out there somewhere. He knew if it was his little girl who had been taken from him, nothing would stop him from making the man responsible pay.

Finally arriving at the Hudson County Sherriff's Office in Jersey City, Don parked his SUV and headed inside. At the front desk, he pulled out his badge and leaned against the counter. "Detective Don Flack with the NYPD. I need to see the Sheriff about an ongoing investigation. He in?"

"Flack?" the receptionist asked.

He nodded, flashing his dimples slightly.

"Uh, you can go right on back, sir."

"Thanks." Don headed through the precinct to the office in the back. He rapped on the open door and took a few steps inside before he was even acknowledged. "You know, you might be the youngest sheriff this county's ever elected, but it still chaps the old man's ass that you sold out and moved to Jersey."

Will Flack chuckled, offering a wry grin that mirrored his older brother's. "What're you doin' this side of the Hudson, Donnie? You get lost in the tunnel?"

Don's expression sobered then. "Unfortunately, I'm here on official business. We got a case-to-case hit between a homicide in New York and two here in your neck of the woods. DNA, probably belonging to the killer. Three four year olds, Will."

The younger Flack sat back in his chair with a sigh as his brother walked further into his office and took a seat in one of the visitor's chairs. "Yeah, I just got the report matching the DNA in the first two. When'd the murder happen on your side?"

"Sunday night."

"Damn."

"You guys got anything else?" Don asked hopefully.

"No. And we've had guys working around the clock on both these cases, even before we knew they were connected." He looked at his brother with a sad smile. "You up for a joint investigation?"

"How 'bout you do all the work and I get all the glory?" Don suggested jokingly.

"Ah, c'mon. You and me workin' together? Think how proud that's gonna make Dad."

"Still won't get him off your back about movin' to Jersey, little brother. You'll be governor before that happens."

"Maybe. But the shadow doesn't loom quite as large on this side of the Holland Tunnel."

Don laughed softly. "True that."

"So you in?"

"Yeah, no question."

"I'll have Quinn Shelby get in touch with Mac Taylor. He's still in charge over at your Crime Lab, right?"

Don nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Will."

"No problem. And I'll personally make sure you're copied in on everything the Detective Bureau's got."

"As soon as I get back, I'll do the same. The son-of-a-bitch is hitting 'bout every three weeks. We gotta get him off the streets before we got another murder on our hands."

Will nodded with the same conviction his brother held. His daughter was the same age as the victims. Crimes involving children were always considered the most heinous, but when he could relate so completely, it made the case a little too personal.

Don sat back. "Thinking about Claire, right?"

"Yep."

"Yeah. My head keeps goin' back to Katie. You know, after you've been doin' this long enough, you think none of it can touch you anymore. Some cases stay with you, sure, but ever since Noli came into my life, it's been a lot easier to leave all this at the precinct. But _this _case…"

"I know. How's she doin', anyway?" Will asked of his sister-in-law.

"She's got good days and bad. But she's handling all this a hell of a lot better than me. I hate seein' her in pain."

"Listen, if you need Al and I to take Tony and Katie for a while, just ask."

"Thanks, man. We might take ya up on that at some point. Though you might regret adding another toddler _and _a teenager to the mix."

"Tony's sentence over yet?" Will inquired then with a smirk.

Don could not help but laugh. "Tomorrow's the last day. And he broke things off with the girl, so hopefully this whole thing's over. She's a piece of work, gotta give her that. Her father's going away for the weekend, so she goes and invites Tony over. Even told him to lie to us."

"He broke up with her _and _admitted that? That kid's got a good head on his shoulders. I don't think either of us was quite so honourable back in the day."

"I know, man, I know. I'm proud of him. He's a real good kid. I just hope he can catch a break and find a girl that's not gonna break his heart again."

**

* * *

**

"You're off the hook, buddy," said John, sitting down at one of the tables in the cafeteria where Tony and Sonny were already eating lunch.

"What're you talking about?" Tony replied.

"Eli Weston asked Alyssa to the Snow Ball. _And_, I just saw 'em kissing out in the locker bay."

While Sonny breathed a near sigh of relief, figuring this was the end of Alyssa Montgomery, Tony furrowed his brow.

"C'mon, this is good. She's out of your life," John continued, noticing the expression on his friend's face.

"Isn't he one of the forwards on the hockey team?" Tony asked.

"Yep. I believe that just leaves the lacrosse team, right?" Sonny quipped.

Antonio scowled at the comment. "Just lay off, all right?" he said defensively.

Sonny and John looked at one another, a little confused by their best friend's attitude. "What's going on with you, man?" John queried.

"I just – Look, just because I'm not goin' out with her doesn't mean I want to sit here trashing her. She's not – She's not like that."

"Tony, she got you grounded, and _then_ she tried to convince you to lie to your folks to go to her place this weekend. Trust me, she didn't want you to come over to play Monopoly. And do I have to remind you that when you dumped her, she threatened to ruin your rep? Just because she hasn't done anything about that doesn't mean that she deserves any sympathy," Sonny pointed out.

As if on cue, Alyssa walked into the cafeteria with Eli, the star forward's arm possessively around the girl's shoulders. She was smiling slightly at something he was whispering in her ear. However, when her eyes happened to meet Tony's, her smile disappeared. She did not sneer or scowl; in fact, Tony could not get a read on her expression before she averted her gaze and looked back at Eli.

He sat back with a sigh. He realized that like it or not, his friends were probably right. The best thing he could do was not waste another moment giving any thought to Alyssa Montgomery. She had obviously moved on. It was time he did the same.

* * *

"Yeah, Messer," Danny barked into his phone as he walked purposely through the halls of the Crime Lab. He had returned from a trip out to the field on a new case only to have Mac fill him in on the newly formed joint investigation with Jersey on, and Danny had been appointed to put everything they had together and send it off to Quinn Shelby. His back had immediately gone up as he recalled Quinn from both her inspection of the Lab and then being forced to work alongside her on the Cabbie Killer case a while back.

"Wow, you're in a mood," Lindsay observed sardonically.

Dan sighed. "Hey, sweetheart. Sorry. Long day."

"Yeah? Want to talk about it?"

"I've got two cases on the go, both high priority. And the murder of that little girl? Turns out she's the third victim in what now appears to be a serial. We're also workin' joint with Hudson County and that means workin' with Quinn."

"Ah. Now I get why you're ticked off. Guess I should be glad Mac put his foot down and kicked me out early this time."

Danny chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, you got off easy. Although it's not all bad. Since Flack's brother's the sheriff out there, he's on point, so I guess that can only be good. But enough about work. How're you doin'? How's the baby?"

"We're good. She's kicking up a storm."

"You keep sayin' 'she.' You sure there's not somethin' you haven't told me?" he teased her.

"No. And that's your daughter talking. Livvie's convinced there's a little sister in there," Linds explained.

"Then it's a good thing I got Matteo on my side. Listen, I'm probably gonna be late, Linds. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Dan. We're okay here so don't worry about us. Just get this guy, all right?"

"Yeah, I know. Besides, he strikes again, with this already crossing state lines, there's no way they won't bring in the BAU."

"If he strikes again, would that be such a bad thing? He's already killed three children."

"I know, I know. Maybe you're right. Listen, I gotta go. I'll call ya later, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"Right back at ya, babe. Give Matt and Liv a kiss for me, will ya?"

"Consider it done. Bye."

Danny hung up his phone and shoved it back in the pocket of his jeans. He went to head into his office, but stopped when he saw Don step off the elevator. "Hey, Flack. You made sure we get all the credit for this, right?"

Flack laughed as he reached his friend. "I _am _the older brother, so it's only following the natural order of things far as I'm concerned. Seriously, Will's gonna make sure we get all they've got on their side. He's a hundred percent on board with this whole investigation."

"Yeah, Mac told me. He asked me to send Quinn everything we have. But sounds like we've got our work cut out for us."

Don nodded somberly.

"Well, I just told Linds not to expect me home anytime soon, so I'm gonna go get on this. It's gonna be a long night."

"Yeah. Let me know if you get anything and I'll do the same. In the meantime, I gotta go check in with Mac then break all this to Hill, let him know what's goin' on. He ain't gonna be pleased."

"Just be glad that he's the one that's gotta answer to Bowery and not you."

"I seem to remember Bowery showin' up at one of my crime scenes not that long ago, Mess. Not sure which I like more – hunting the mob or dealing with a serial. I'll catch ya later, man."

**

* * *

**

Tony headed across the field, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He had gone to Sonny's for dinner, Noelle agreeing when he called to ask since his grounding was just about up and the boys did have a science project to work on. He even scored some points since it was a Friday night and he was voluntarily doing school work. He was just glad they had made enough progress on the assignment that as soon as his punishment was lifted on Sunday, he would be able to spend the day with Katie breaking his record on the Wii.

As he crossed the baseball diamond at the school, just two blocks from home, his cell phone rang. He laughed to himself as he pulled the phone out, expecting to see his home number on the call display. He figured Noelle was probably wondering if he was close to coming home. Instead, _Unknown Number_ flashed across the phone's display. He thought for a moment about not answering it, but decided just before the call went to voicemail to get it. "Yeah, hello?"

"T-Tony?"

He furrowed his brow. "Lyss? What's wrong?"


	106. Dad

As long as Tony had known him, since the detective's days as a YMCA volunteer, he had always referred to Don simply as "Flack." Even after Don became his guardian and Tony made the transition from guest to stepson, he had still just been Flack. So when the word "Dad" escaped his lips, it made Don stop in his tracks. And when he saw the look on Tony's face, his eyes watery and red-rimmed, he realized that it did not matter that he was still wearing his gun and his badge. In that moment, he was not a police detective but a father.

"She didn't make this up, Dad." Tony's voice was shaky as he repeated the statement, but he was emphatic as he spoke from his spot next to Don on the hard chairs that lined the hospital corridor.

With the utterance of that one word, Don felt whatever doubt he had fade into the background. He put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Okay."

"You don't believe her."

Don took a breath. "You believe her, right? That's enough for me." He patted his cheek.

Four hours earlier, Flack had walked into the house, his body a mixture of exhausted and keyed up after the day he'd had at work. He had spent over an hour in Captain Hill's office, taking a hit for going behind his superior's back and initiating a joint investigation with Jersey. Somehow, that fact had already been leaked to the press, and the case of the serial child killer had made it onto the six o'clock news as the top story. The public outcry could already be heard. As far as the citizens of New York were concerned, the police in New Jersey had failed by allowing a killer to cross state lines. Now the NYPD was being held equally as responsible for allowing him to kill again on their turf. Hill muttered that he was going to be forced to ask the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit for help if they did not catch the bastard responsible, and he would not be happy if he had to call in the Feds.

Finally home, Don met his wife with a languid kiss, taking her by surprise, but also managing to ease some of the tension he was feeling. When Katie ran into the entryway to greet him, he swung her high into the air before kissing her cheek. He then ribbed Noelle about caving when Tony asked for permission to have supper at Sonny's.

Don was on his way upstairs to change out of his suit when his cell phone had rung. Plans changed as he heard his son's shaken voice on the other end of the line, pleading for his help.

When Don arrived at the address Tony had provided, he found the front door of the apartment wide open and Tony curled up on the floor in the living room holding a sobbing Alyssa. There were not outward signs of any injuries on the girl, though her shirt was torn and she was nearly hysterical. All Tony said was, "Someone tried to hurt her, Flack." A quick look around and the seasoned detective in Don noted no signs of struggle, nor any indication of forced entry. But Tony was vehement. Don knew the evidence would speak for itself and called the attempted assault into dispatch.

In the few hours that had passed since then, both the SVU and CSIs had been in and out of the hospital room where Alyssa lay, and Tony was refusing to go home until either her father arrived or she was released. Out of professional courtesy, the detectives had kept Flack in the loop. His ambivalence had only grown with what he had been told. After refusing to speak for the first while, Alyssa had finally broken her silence and admitted that someone had tried to rape her. Unfortunately, there was little evidence to substantiate her claim. She was also refusing to give up a name. So unless she relented and told them who the alleged guilty party was, they could only hope to pull some DNA off her clothes and then find the guy. Even then, without a confession, it was going to make things very difficult.

"It coulda been Eli Weston," Tony said, breaking the silence the two had fallen into.

"Who?"

"He goes to my school. He's a senior, on the hockey team. He was hanging all over Alyssa yesterday in the cafeteria."

Don sighed. "We can't go accusing someone of something like this without any proof, Antonio."

Tony furrowed his brow. "But if he's the one that hurt her, he should have to pay."

"And if it wasn't him, it could ruin his life to be falsely accused. We need to wait for Alyssa to tell the police or for the evidence to tell the story for her."

"But why won't she just tell 'em?"

Don hesitated. He had his suspicions, but that would mean admitting to Tony that he was not completely convinced that anything had actually happened. He hated that he was even entertaining the possibility. But the fact was that the girl had been seemingly playing Tony from the very beginning. And unfortunately, he had seen other people pull even more elaborate schemes to get someone's attention. However, Tony believed her. And while there was little evidence to support her claims, there was also little evidence suggesting it was all some hoax, either. So, he said quietly to his son, "She's probably scared."

"Her dad should be here."

"SVU said they'd left him a message on his cell phone, but his plane was still in the air."

"She shouldn't be by herself. Does she have to stay here?"

"They won't release her on her own."

"Can she come stay with us 'til her dad gets back? It will probably just be 'til the afternoon, right?"

Don ran a weary hand through his hair. He was not unsympathetic. He just hated that Tony was getting caught up in all of this. If she was screwing around with him, he was going to end up even more hurt than he had already been. If she wasn't – if she had really nearly been raped – then Tony was going to have to watch someone he cared about deal with the aftermath of one of the worst things a woman could go through. Either way, the son who had already been through more than any boy his age should, was mixed up in something that in no way could end well. "They won't release her to me without her father's permission. But – Once they get a hold of him, if he says it's okay, then yeah, we'll take her home until he gets back," he agreed even against his better judgment.

"Thanks."

Just after three in the morning, following a phone conversation with a very irate Ben Montgomery, Don and Tony escorted the girl, dressed in a pair of hospital scrubs, through the front door of their house.

Noelle had been curled up on the couch in the living room awaiting their return, and rushed out to meet them in the foyer. She appraised the young woman with concern. Alyssa's gaze was averted, her eyes red and puffy from hours of tears, intrusive questions and a physical exam. She had her arms wrapped protectively around herself. While Don had expressed his reservations to his wife earlier on the phone, Noelle was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was not nearly as cynical as her husband and could not believe that anyone could ever lie about something like this. Although, like Don, she wished Tony had not been pulled into the situation. "Alyssa, would you like to have a shower or take a hot bath?"

Alyssa raised her head a little, taken aback by the kindness Tony's mother was showing her. She nodded slowly.

"All right, sweetheart. Why don't you come on upstairs with me? And we'll see if I can find you something a little warmer to wear."

Don mouthed a thank you to his wife, then watched her disappeared up the stairs with their guest. He then looked at his son, who appeared totally defeated. "Tony, why don't you head on up to bed? It's been a long night. We'll talk in the morning."

Tony looked up at the tall detective with tears in his eyes. "How could something like this happen?"

Don reached out and pulled him into his arms. Hugging him tightly, he said quietly, "Bad stuff happens, Antonio. I just wish you hadn't seen so much of it already."

"This is my fault."

"No! Tony, you're not in any way responsible for this."

"But if I hadn't broken up –"

"This still coulda happened. I don't want you blamin' yourself. All right? Promise me you're not gonna beat yourself up about this. It wasn't your fault."

Tony nodded slowly, though his expression was hardly convincing.

Don kissed the top of his head then sent him off to bed. Alone downstairs, he headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge. The past twenty-four hours definitely merited a drink.

While Alyssa showered, Noelle tiptoed into Katie's room and pulled her daughter from her bed. She carried her into the master bedroom, urging Rocco to follow, and settled her in the bed there. She then escorted Alyssa into the little girl's room when she emerged from her shower, the young woman's long blonde hair damp, her face clear of any make-up, and now dressed in some of Noelle's sweats. "We're still working on fixing up the basement with a guest room, so I'm afraid this is the best I can do for tonight," Noli explained.

"You're being really nice to me," Alyssa replied quietly.

"We just want to make sure you're taken care of until your father gets home. Don spoke with him and he's going to come here straight from the airport as soon as his flight gets in. Until then, you just need to rest, okay? And if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

Alyssa hesitated for a moment. "Tony told me you've been sick. How can you be worrying about me?"

Noelle furrowed her brow. Traumatized or not, the girl was obviously not used to compassion. "Because Tony cares a lot about what happens to you. Now, why don't you try and get some sleep?"

The young woman was quiet for a moment before she looked up at Noelle. "I – I don't know if I can," she admitted.

"Would you like to talk?"

"I can't."

"You're safe here. I promise. I mean, we have our own personal NYPD bodyguard." Noelle added the last part lightly, but it did not seem to soothe Alyssa.

"I think – I'll just try to go to bed."

"All right. If you change your mind, I'll be right down the hall." Noelle hesitated for a moment before she finally turned and left the room, softly closing the door behind her.

Hearing Don moving around downstairs, she headed down to the kitchen and joined him at the table. She took the bottle of beer sitting in front of him and took a sip herself.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"She seems scared. She also seems surprised that we would let her come here." Noelle studied her husband for a moment. "You don't believe her, do you?"

"I want to, Nol."

"I don't understand how you couldn't."

"I've seen people lie about things a hell of lot worse to get what they want, doll," Don explained.

"Your Tony's father. She'd have to know that he would insist on calling you and that you would insist on getting the police involved. That's a lot of trouble to go through to get what? Tony's sympathy? His attention?"

"Maybe it wasn't _his_ attention she was trying to get. Come on. What kind of father lets his seventeen year old daughter stay alone so much?"

Noelle sighed. "Where's her mother?"

"I don't know. There was no mention of a mother. Not before by Tony and nothing tonight when she was talking to SVU."

"That poor girl. Look, Donnie, I think she's telling the truth and we need to believe her. If not for her sake, then for Tony's. Besides – I, uh – I've seen what rape can do to someone, remember? It's hard enough when you're validated. I can't imagine what it must be like when you've got no proof other than your word."

"She's not your mother, Nol."

"No. She's a seventeen year old girl without a mother, without a husband like Mom had by her side, and with a father who doesn't seem to be around very much. I'm not going to doubt her. And I don't think you should, either. She needs more than a fifteen year old boy to believe in her."

"It's that fifteen year old I'm worried about, Noelle. He's blaming himself for this, thinkin' that if he hadn't broken things off, this wouldn't have happened."

Noelle took a deep breath. "You'd think after everything that kid had been through, he'd have closed himself off by now. Instead, he just feels with his whole heart, doesn't he?"

Don nodded. "Despite everything Alyssa did to jerk him around, he still believes in her. So no matter how the chips fall, he's gonna get hurt again. And this time, I don't know what to do about it because this isn't just about teenage hormones and broken hearts anymore, Nol. Someone broke the law tonight and because of that, there's no more innocence to be lost here. And right now the only person who knows the truth about what really happened is Alyssa, and she ain't talkin'." He picked the bottle of beer up and knocked back a swig. "And I'm a damn hypocrite. I told Tony earlier that whatever he believed was enough for me and here I am questioning everything."

"You're not a hypocrite, sweetheart. You just exist in two different worlds and sometimes it's hard to reconcile the two. When you're on the job, you live in a world where the truth is whatever you can prove with facts and evidence. But when you walk through that door, you're not a police detective anymore. You're Tony's and Katie's father, and the most important man in both of their lives. And in _this_ world, right now, the truth is that he believes in Alyssa. We need to respect that because that's his reality right now."

He nodded again.

"Baby, you've been raked over the coals today, between this serial case and now worrying about Tony. Why don't you come up to bed?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there. I just – I just need a few minutes to decompress."

"Okay. I put Alyssa in Katie's room, so Katie and Rocco are in ours." She kissed his cheek gently. "I love you, Donnie. That's one truth I hope you'll always believe."

"Right back at ya, babe." Left alone, Don fidgeted with the beer bottle, finally settling for peeling the label off. The day had definitely gone down as one of the worst in both his profession and personal lives. But just as he was about to give into the exhaustion, he shook his head with a slight smile. "He called me 'Dad.'"


	107. Doubt

"She hasn't eaten anything or said two words since she got up," Noelle said as she sat down at the kitchen table beside her husband, setting a plate with the uneaten sandwiches she had made for Tony and Alyssa in front of him, figuring Don might take at least one. Even tense and wound up, her husband could eat.

Don held his tongue, fighting back his gut response to her comment – that Alyssa was probably not saying anything because she knew that the more she talked, the bigger the hole she would be digging for herself.

He had opened the front door earlier in the morning to retrieve the Saturday edition of the New York Times, only to find the headline SERIAL CHILD KILLER ON LOOSE sprawled across the front page and the NYPD taking hits right, left and centre. The joint investigation with Jersey did not seem to earn anyone any points, either, as the article continued. Then there were the three text messages from Hill asking where they were on the case, his own bosses further up the chain of command demanding answers and action. And of course, this was after getting only three hours of sleep before Katie accidentally belted him in the eye as she rolled over in bed. That had woken them both up, and then the questions had started – why were she and Rocco in her mommy and daddy's room, why was Tony's friend Alyssa sleeping in her bed, why was it taking so long for Christmas to get here, why…? He had sighed and gotten his little girl up, placating her with brief answers that did not even begin to capture the severity of the past twelve hours. He dressed her in clothes his wife had the foresight to grab before leaving Alyssa in her room the night before, and carried her downstairs for breakfast. Then while his daughter ate Cheerios and chattered away at Rocco about the importance of being good because Santa was coming soon, Don called his parents and asked if they could take her for the day, at least until Benjamin Montgomery showed up to collect his own daughter.

Jump arrived to pick up his granddaughter barely twenty minutes later, more than happy to help his son and daughter-in-law out. Don Sr. took one look at his son upon entering the house before he pulled him into a hug, assuring him that he had seen worse days already in his young career and that this, too, would pass. The elder Flack then patted his son's face and told him how proud he was of _both_ of his boys for what he already knew was going to be a successful partnership. He then swung his suspicious granddaughter into his arms with the promise of the fun day they were going to have together. Katie, while usually happy to spend time with her grandparents, was not overly thrilled. As far as she was concerned, she was being sent away – _again_. She scowled at her father and turned her face when he tried to kiss her cheek goodbye. Knowing why she was upset, he promised that she would have his and Noelle's undivided attention upon her return. He realized in hindsight that he had just made her a promise he would never be able to keep, what with a teenaged son on his hands who was mixed up in a traumatizing situation and the entire city of New York on his back about a child killer being on the loose.

Like Alyssa, Tony had barely spoken since he had emerged from his room. The two teenagers were currently on the couch in the living room watching TV, a weird, almost eerie silence having fallen between them, and Don and Noelle at a loss as to what else to do.

"Sweetie, are you okay?"

Don escaped his thoughts with a heavy sigh and looked at his wife. "Katie wants that new talking Elmo thing for Christmas. Remind me to pick one up sometime when I'm in the city this week," he said.

"You were thinking about a Muppet?" she asked a little incredulously.

"Is he considered a Muppet?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure he's a he." She shook her head then. "Is this sleep deprivation talking or has all of this stress finally gotten to us?"

Don chuckled at that. He sat back in his chair, his arm snaking around the back of Noelle's. "I called in, spoke to one of the detectives in the SVU. Not much chance of hearing anything on Alyssa's case for a while. It's apparently considered very low on the priority list and the Lab's backed up as it is."

"What about the murder case? Any news on that?"

He shook his head.

She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. "I know this is a lot for you to be dealing with right now."

He sighed. "I'm not worried about me. The brass is always breathin' down my neck about one case or another. It's Tony I'm worried about. That kid's seen more at fifteen than anybody should have to see in their entire life." He lowered his voice as he added, "And if it turns out she's lyin' about this whole thing, it's gonna wreck him."

"Donnie…Look, baby, if you're right, then we'll take care of Tony."

"He, uh – He called me 'Dad' last night."

Noelle offered her husband a sad smile. "Yeah?"

Don nodded a little proudly.

"Well, then he'll be fine, because that means he loves and trusts you completely and he knows _you'll _never hurt him. No matter how this plays out, we'll get him through it. We might need some help this time, but he's not going to be dealing with any of this alone."

"What about you, huh? How're you doin'? 'Cause you can't tell me you're feelin' fine."

She shrugged. "I can't worry about me right now. Our son needs both of us. And from what you told me, so does our daughter."

"You _need _to worry about you, all right?"

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You do enough of that for the both of us, no matter what I tell you, so what's the point in me wasting my energy?" she replied lightly. "But you're right about Katie. There's been so much going on lately that she's probably starting to feel a little secondary around here. We need to give her some attention and make sure she doesn't doubt how important she is."

Before Don could agree, there was a knock at the front door. Rocco came running from the living room and started barking at the unidentified guest on the other side of the door until Flack and Noelle reached the foyer and shushed the German shepherd. "It's all right, boy," Don assured the dog, patting his head as he opened the front door.

"Detective Flack, I'm Ben Montgomery."

Flack nodded, extending his hand to the man standing in front of him.

Benjamin Montgomery was a tall, imposing fellow. His daughter had inherited his blond hair, but she was slight and lithe where he was tall and heavyset. He was dressed in a dark brown suit, though his tie was missing and the top couple buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. He appeared as Don and Noelle felt – weary from lack of sleep and concern.

"I'm Don's wife, Noelle. Please, come on in," Noelle invited.

Alyssa's father walked inside. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. I apologize for the imposition."

"It was no problem. Would you like a cup of coffee or something else to drink?"

"Thank you, but you've already gone above and beyond. I'll just get Lyss and take her home."

Alyssa appeared in the doorway to the living room then looking meek and ashamed, Tony right behind her. "Hi, Daddy," she greeted quietly.

He held out his arms and she ran over, hugging him tightly, tears falling unabashedly down her cheeks then. He held her for a moment before kissing the top of her head. "I'll take you home, sweetheart, and we'll fix this. I promise. Why don't you grab your things?"

She nodded and turned, heading up the stairs to Katie's room where she had left her purse and coat.

"You must be Tony," Alyssa's father observed, glancing over at the teenaged boy.

He nodded slowly.

"You're the first friend she's really talked about." Mr. Montgomery sighed before looking back at Don and Noelle. "Thank you again for taking care of Alyssa last night."

"There's no update yet on her case," Don explained. "But I'll keep at SVU and let you know as soon as there's any word."

Ben hesitated for a moment. "You and I both know nothing will come of this, Detective. You know, I just don't know what to do anymore. Her mother, though – Her mother would have known how to handle her."

Tony furrowed his brow, the implication of Alyssa's father's words hitting him.

Noelle bit her lip in contemplation. "Do you mind me asking? Where _is_ her mother?"

Ben took a deep breath. "She was killed four years ago. The police never found out who did it. Alyssa and I moved here from Connecticut the following summer so she could have a fresh start when she entered high school. And I have some family here. But she's just – She's never gotten over it. I've tried grief counseling and psychiatrists and I just – I'm at a loss. This acting out…I just can't believe she got the police involved this time. Would there be grounds to charge her? Should I call my lawyer?"

Don cleared his throat as he caught the look on his son's face. If her own father did not believe her, what were the chances that anyone else would? "Mr. Montgomery, right now, nobody but Alyssa knows exactly what happened last night. She's said very little. If I were you, I'd see if you can get her to open up to you and tell you what went on. Until then, all we can do is wait for the Crime Lab to finish processing the evidence. If they find anything, the D.A.'s office will decide whether or not to pursue a case."

Alyssa came back down the stairs with her coat and purse. She muttered a quiet thank you to Don and Noelle, refusing to look at Tony or her father as the elder man offered another nod of thanks to the Flacks for their hospitality and trouble, then led his daughter out.

Once Don had shut the door behind them, he turned and looked at his son with concern. "Tony, we should talk."

"She's not making this up. I'll prove it," the boy replied emphatically, turning to head up the stairs to his room.

Don and Noelle exchanged concerned glances before Don took a step forward, his voice full of authority as he said, "Antonio, don't you even _think _about getting mixed up in this!"

"But, Dad –"

"What? You're fifteen. You're not a cop. Living here for the past six months doesn't give you any special qualifications, Antonio. This is an official police investigation. If you get yourself mixed up in this, don't think you're untouchable just because I'm NYPD. You could get yourself slapped with an obstruction charge if you're not careful." Don took a breath, softening his tone a little. "Listen to me, kid. I know you're pissed off and you're worried. But no matter what happened, it's not your job to fix this. Alyssa's home with her father, the SVU's working the case..._Your _job? It's to be a teenager. Be a friend if Alyssa needs that, that's fine. But you gotta stay out of the case. You hear me?"

"Fine," Tony muttered.

Don shook his head with a hint of a smile at his son's stubbornness. He reminded him so much of himself at that age that it was almost scary. "That was real convincing, kid. Look at me." Flack waited until Tony's gaze was fixed on his. "Noelle and I, we love you. And we hate that any of this has happened. You've gotten a raw deal and if we had the power to change any of it, you know we would. But I gotta say this: I am so proud of how you handled yourself last night. You did everything right. From listening to a friend who needed help, to calling me, to making sure she was taken care of until her father could get here…But he's back and we just – We gotta step back now, son. Let the police handle the case, let Mr. Montgomery help Alyssa."

Tony nodded solemnly.

Noelle walked over and gave Tony a hug, kissing his temple. "I think Alyssa's very lucky to have a friend who believes in her the way you do. I have a feeling she's not had much of that."

"I'm gonna go out for a run. That okay?"

"How 'bout I go with you?" Don suggested.

Tony agreed almost gratefully.

While the guys were out running, Noelle headed over to her in-laws' to pick up Katie.

"How's Tony?" Jump asked his daughter-in-law with concern as he ushered her into the house.

"He's angry, and very much like your son," she replied with a smile.

"Ah. Stubborn, proud, and itching to fix everything for everyone, even if he has to do it himself," Don's father concluded with a chuckle.

Noelle nodded.

"Not always a bad thing."

"No, it's not. Just more than a fifteen year old should have to handle."

Jump appraised his daughter-in-law. "And you? How are you feeling? I know stress can exacerbate the pain and if the look on your face is any indication…"

"I hate having a family full of cops," she replied with a wry grin. "Your powers of observation have passed impressive to annoying."

He laughed softly, then his expression sobered. "You need to take care of yourself, sweetheart. We can keep Katie…"

"No, no, she needs to be come home. Worrying about my kids is what's stressing me out and knocking myself out with pain killers isn't going to make things any better for them. You know, Katie has put up with a lot so I'm not really surprised she's starting to feel a little put off and ignored. So the best thing I can do for both of us is take her home and help her write her letter to Santa. And hopefully when Tony and Don get home, we can have the day and do something, just the four of us."

Of course, Noelle had been the wife a cop long enough to know better, especially when her husband was lead on a big case that had the public's attention. And even as the words escaped her lips, Don's phone was sitting on the table in the front hall receiving a new text message from Danny: _Fourth victim found. Brass requesting BAU. Call when you get this._

* * *

**A/N **As the end of the chapter suggests, all of you hoping for a _Criminal Minds_ crossover are getting your wish! Hopefully I will do them justice. But for now, let me leave you with the gratuitous mental picture of Don Flack, Danny Messer, Mac Taylor, Sheldon Hawkes, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid all in one room together. Stay tuned!


	108. Criminal Minds

**A/N **Disclaimer:Not only do I not own anything related to CSI:NY, I also do not own anything to do with Criminal Minds. CBS gets all the credit and the glory. I am just having a blast playing in their sandbox. This chapter is really just the introduction of the CM team. There will be more one-on-one interaction over the next couple (maybe more) chapters.

I also feel the need to mention that I am _not _a profiler and know nothing about serial killers (that should make you feel happy hahaha). Therefore, everything that follows is completely made up based on what little I remember from the psych courses I took during my undergrad days and years of being addicted to CSI, CSI:NY and Criminal Minds. I think it makes a little sense, but if it does not, remember what I just said and that this is just fiction. For me, this is more about getting to have some of my favourite characters interact than ensuring that the facts of the case are realistic. If realism was my concern, Flack would have had a nervous breakdown by now from all the drama LOL xoxoxo mustlovecat

* * *

Don walked out of the en suite, buttoning up the cuffs of his dress shirt. His eyes instantly fell upon his sleeping wife, her expression peaceful, a slight smile playing on her lips. One of her feet and an arm were poking out from under the sheets and blankets. It was something he loved to tease her about, how she liked to be snug and warm and either wrapped up in him or a bunch of covers, yet could not sleep if she was too hot. So, inevitably, a foot would work its way out into the open over the course of the night. Taking in her smooth, pale skin, he could not help but smile as he recalled making love to her the night before, after Katie was tucked into bed and Tony was settled in his room with his Ipod and history text book. The couple had stayed up late despite the early morning that awaited him. He had felt the need to get lost in her more than he felt the need for sleep. So he had taken his time as he ran his hands over the curves of her body, traced her lips with his finger tips, kissed her with the kind of zealous passion that always made her feel like the only woman in the world. Knowing she was still naked under the blankets now made him wish he was not due at Headquarters in an hour to greet the members of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Things had happened quickly over the past couple of days. Upon returning from his run with Tony mid-afternoon on Saturday, Don had picked up the message about the latest murder. His stomach had instantly knotted when he realized this meant that the creep was speeding up his timetable. There had been less than a week between the last two murders, and if his gut instinct was right, they now had less than that to solve the case before he struck again. For that reason, Don had no problem with the request that had gone out to the BAU. While he knew that the Brass hated having to ask the Feds for anything, it was way past time to worry about pride and who got credit for the collar. Don just wanted the sick bastard found and off the streets before another child fell victim. So he had breathed a sigh of relief when the call came in late Sunday afternoon: Aaron Hotchner and his team would be arriving in New York first thing Monday morning. He let Will know, and everyone else who had anything to do with the case had quickly been ordered to 1 Police Plaza for a nine a.m. briefing. And now, he had to admit he was feeling a little nervous. For the second time in less than a year, the First Grade Homicide Detective was leading an initiative that reached beyond the borders of his city.

Don put on one of his more subdued ties and pulled on his grey suit jacket, then walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached over and stroked a finger down Noelle's cheek before he leaned down and re-traced the line with his lips. "I gotta go, doll," he said, his voice low, his breath warm against her ear. He hated to wake her, but she had made him promise before she drifted off in his arms the night before that he would not leave without saying goodbye.

Noli sighed. Without opening her eyes, she murmured, "Stay."

"Duty calls, babe."

She slowly opened her eyes then and looked him over. He certainly knew how to fill out a suit and simultaneously quicken her pulse. "I'll make it worth your while to stay."

He flashed his dimples. "Hold my place and I'll be more than happy to take you up on that when I get home."

"Fine. But maybe I won't be quite so horny then."

He cleared his throat. "That's, uh – that's fighting dirty."

She smirked. She sat up then and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good luck today. Not that you need it." She kissed him lazily, her fingers raking through his hair.

"Damn," he swore a little breathlessly when they broke the kiss.

She laughed softly. "Next time wake me up earlier."

"Duly noted. You feelin' okay?" he asked her tenderly.

She nodded. "Getting through the rest of the weekend drama-free definitely helped. I just wish the same could be said for you at work."

"It's fine. This team from the BAU is the best. They'll know where we should start looking."

She bit her lip. "Is it wrong of me to ask you to take my copy of David Rossi's book and have him sign it?"

"First you're a thief with my clothes, and now you're a stalker?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

Don smirked. "I'll get your book signed."

"Hmm. Then I'll definitely make sure I'm still horny when you get home."

"Promises, promises." He captured her lips in a slow, deep kiss, then he finally tore himself away from his wife.

After quickly looking in on Katie, Don jogged down the stairs and headed into the living room, straight over to the bookcase. He found Rossi's book and pulled it off the shelf, just as Tony walked into the room from the kitchen, a glass of orange juice in his hands.

"You got another half hour, kid. What're you doin' up?" Flack asked.

"Couldn't sleep," the boy replied with a shrug.

Don furrowed his brow. "Listen, I know I took off as soon as we got back on Saturday and then was gone again most of yesterday. I promise, though, I'm keepin' my ears open on Alyssa's case. And as soon as I get home tonight, we'll talk, okay? Or, you know that Noli's more than happy to listen if –"

"I'm okay."

"Tony…"

"I'm okay, Dad. Really. I'm dealing."

Flack fought the urge to shake his head at his son's attempt to be macho. He walked over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll talk when I get home. Have a good day at school."

Tony nodded.

Don patted his cheek, then walked out into the foyer. He retrieved his gun and badge from the lockbox in the closet, pulled on his overcoat and dress shoes, and headed out into the brisk December morning.

Ninety minutes later, he was walking out of the pit into the lobby of 1 Police Plaza after being alerted to the BAU's arrival. "Agent Hotchner? Don Flack, Homicide," he greeted the Special Agent he had spoken with on the phone the evening before.

"It's nice to meet you, Detective. And please, it's Aaron," the agent replied, shaking Flack's hand. "This is my team: our liaison, Agent Jennifer Jareau, and Special Agents Emily Prentiss, Derek Morgan, David Rossi, and Dr. Spencer Reid."

Don quirked an eyebrow at the young man who was introduced as 'doctor'. Dressed in brown cords and a brown, green and white striped sweater over an untucked white dress shirt, a messenger bag hung across his slight frame, he barely looked old enough to be an agent. Flack then quickly appraised the other agents. Hotchner and Rossi were both in suits, though Hotch was the only one in a tie. Prentiss and Jareau were both wearing skirts, long-sleeved tops and heels. And then there was Derek Morgan, who broke the trend wearing black jeans and a tight green polo. Don almost smirked, pegging Morgan as the BAU's Danny Messer.

He finally turned his attention back to the team's leader. "We appreciate you coming. I've got everyone set up in one of the conference rooms. And since the first two bodies were found in New Jersey, we've already initiated a joint investigation."

"Good. And we have gone over all of the information that was faxed over to the Bureau and have a preliminary profile we'd like to disseminate to your personnel. We also like to visit both the first and the most recent scenes, if possible," Agent Hotchner explained.

"Not a problem. Why don't you follow me and we'll get started?"

**

* * *

**

Tony stood at his locker and glared across the bay at Eli Weston. The star forward was surrounded by his entourage, the seniors all laughing about something as they talked about their weekend. Despite what Alyssa's father might have suggested, he did not believe that she made everything up. That made Eli the prime suspect as far as he was concerned. He just had no idea yet how to go about proving it.

"I am so going to bomb if Ransick's evil enough to give us a pop quiz today. There's no way I'm going to remember all that stuff about Henry the Eighth," John complained as he and Sonny joined Tony.

"My brother's got the first two seasons of _The Tudors _on DVD, so I'm good up to Jane Seymour," Sonny replied confidently.

"That stuff's definitely not historically accurate, man," John laughed.

"Maybe not, but that chick that plays Anne Boleyn is definitely fine."

Both noticed that Tony was not paying any attention to them and followed his gaze. John sighed when he realized it was fixed on the hockey player. "C'mon, man, give it up already."

Tony furrowed his brow, looking at his friends. He had not told either of them what had happened over the weekend, wanting to respect Alyssa's privacy. However, that was going to make his investigation incredibly difficult. Things would be so much easier if he had his buddies backing him up. "I just don't like the guy," he said evasively.

"You had no problem with him before he started hanging around Alyssa," John pointed out.

"J's right. Look, you need to just forget you ever met the Montgomery, all right? What about that new girl, huh? Janet? Janice?" Sonny suggested.

"Candice," John correct.

"Right, Candice. She's pretty cute, and she was totally checking you out just now in homeroom. You should ask _her _to the Snow Ball."

Tony scoffed as he retrieved his history text book from his locker. "No way. I ain't going."

"C'mon, man, you have to go. It's fine if you don't want to ask Candice. We'll just all go stag. It'll be fun."

"What about Christy?" John asked Sonny.

"Her parents are takin' her and her sister to Vale for Christmas and they're leaving two days before break so she's not gonna be here."

John looked back at Tony. "Perfect. It'll be a blast."

Tony shook his head. "I said I'm not goin'." He shut his locker and glanced back over at Eli. "Who'd Weston go out with before Alyssa?"

"Uh, he and Sara Roberts were pretty hot and heavy last year but they broke up over the summer."

"He was with was Patricia Patton until she transferred right after Homecoming," Sonny recalled. "I mean, they obviously split since he asked Alyssa to the dance."

Tony quirked an eyebrow, looking back at Sonny. "Transferred? You know why? Or where she went?"

Sonny shrugged. "I dunno. I'm guessin' she moved? But what gives, man? Why's any of this matter?"

Tony saw the matching quizzical expressions on his best friends' faces and just shook his head. "It doesn't. Never mind. Forget I asked. We should go or we're gonna be late for class. Last thing we wanna do is piss of Ransick or for sure we'll get nailed with that pop quiz."

**

* * *

**

"We're looking for a young woman in her early to mid twenties, who recently lost a child. Since the victims have all been four year old girls, chances are that it was her four year old daughter who either died or was taken from her," Agent Hotchner started.

The BAU agents were all standing around the room, interspersed amongst the NYPD personnel – Mac, Danny, Stella, Hawkes, Angell and Don – Will Flack, one of his detectives, and Quinn Shelby from the Jersey City Crime Lab. Despite the chairs that surrounded the conference table, nobody was seated, the atmosphere in the room full of tension and nervous energy.

"A woman?" Danny asked incredulously, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned back against the wall, his eyebrows raised. "Aren't the odds against a serial killer bein' female?"

"Yes," Dr. Spencer Reid spoke up. "Female serial killers _are _much more uncommon than males. However, they do exist. And if you look at the cause of death in each of these murders – strangulation with no other evidence of assault – you will see that they are much less violent than you would expect, much more along the lines of how a woman would kill someone."

Messer nodded, having to admit the theory made sense. Sid had actually made the comment himself the day before, after completing the autopsy on New York's second victim, that there seemed to be little violence involved in the murders – well, if you could say that about a _murder_.

"So, is this revenge?" Will questioned. "She lost a child so she wants other parents to experience the same grief?"

"It's possible," Derek Morgan responded with a nod. "It is also likely that she is in the midst of experiencing a psychotic break. She was a single mother, little social support, no family. She probably had an unnatural attachment to her child in that she looked to the child to provide her with the love and attention she was never able to obtain elsewhere. With that source of validation now gone, she does not know how to function."

"Often serial killers know their first victims. However, in this case, with revenge as part of the motivation combined with unsub's fragile mental state, there is a chance there was no foreknowledge of the first victim," Emily Prentiss added. "In fact, the first murder was likely _not_ premeditated. However, she probably did strike close to home the first time."

"The first three murders were spaced out every three weeks, then this last one occurred inside a week from the last. Does that she's being to lose all touch with reality?" Don inquired perceptively.

Rossi fielded this one. "You're right on point, Detective. If you'll notice, the last scene was more chaotic."

"If she's spiraling, then there's no telling when she could strike next," Mac hypothesized. "We need to act quickly."

Hotchner looked at Will. "Sheriff, I'd like Agents Prentiss and Morgan to go out to the first scene with some of your personnel, and also to take a closer look at all of the evidence in that case. And Detective Flack, if you could have someone escort Dr. Reid and Agent Rossi to the latest scene, we would appreciate it."

"Not a problem," Don agreed.

The group dispersed. Quinn and the homicide detective who had accompanied Will headed out with Prentiss and Morgan, off to Jersey City to show them the scene of the first murder. Meanwhile, Hawkes and Angell went to gather their belongings so they could escort Dr. Reid and Agent Rossi to the latest scene in the Bronx.

Danny, Stella and Adam headed back to the Lab to continue processing what little evidence they had, leaving Mac, Don, Will and Aaron in the conference room to discuss the case and strategize. Since the evidence they did have had so far produced no leads, the best way to narrow down the search for the unsub was to start looking into all recent deaths of children in the weeks preceding the first murder, as well as sift through Social Service records for children recently removed from their homes. It was going to be a long and arduous task requiring time they did not have. Fortunately, thought Don, they had the best criminal minds in their corner who knew exactly what they were looking for.

**

* * *

**

Tony bounced a little nervously on the balls of his feet, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans and his backpack slung over one shoulder as he approached the senior in the east locker bay. "Uh, hey. Sara?"

Sara Roberts closed her locker and turned around to face the source of the voice. "Yes?"

"You, uh – You don't know me. My name's Tony Alvarez. I'm, uh – I'm a sophomore, just started here this year."

"Yeah, I've seen you around. You played on the baseball team, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Listen, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but I was wondering if I could ask you a couple questions."

"About?"

He cleared his throat. "About Eli Weston."


	109. Profiling

Tony walked into the house, throwing his backpack down on the floor in the foyer in frustration. He had gotten nowhere with Sara Roberts. As soon as he had mentioned Eli Weston's name, the girl had grown wary and then informed him that she had no interest in discussing her ex. When she had started to walk off, Tony had chased after her, trying in vain to at least find out why the mere mention of the star forward bothered her so much. But the high school senior held her ground, told him it was none of his business and to leave her alone. His suspicions had only been raised, but he still had nothing to go on, either. All he had left was Patricia Patton, and he had no idea where she even was.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was your day?" Noelle asked as he wandered into the living room to find his mother on the couch with Katie tucked into her side, a new picture book settle across both their laps.

"Had a pop quiz in history."

"Yeah? How'd it go?"

"We had to name all of Henry the Eighth's wives. I got 'em all. Is it okay if I use the computer before dinner?" he requested.

"Sure. You've got all your privileges back. Just remember the rules: either here or in the kitchen and no more than half an hour on the internet unless it's for school."

He nodded, rolling his eyes a little at the reminder. "I know. just want to log onto Facebook for a little bit."

"You just saw the guys at school. Something happen between the last bell and now that you've just got to tell 'em?" she teased him.

Tony just shrugged. "It okay?"

"Sure, honey. My laptop's on the kitchen table."

"Then we pway?" Katie asked hopefully, looking at her big brother with bright eyes.

"Uh, yeah, sure, squirt. Soon as I'm done, we'll play."

Tony headed across the hall into the kitchen. He helped himself to a soda from the fridge, then sat down at the table and opened Noelle's laptop. He booted up the computer, tapping his foot impatiently while he waited for the Internet Explorer icon to pop up. He chose Facebook from the favourites once the browser had loaded and logged on. He then found the search box and entered the name Patricia Patton.

He figured that she had to be on the social networking site. No doubt she would want to stay in contact with at least some of her friends from her old school, no matter where she had moved, and what better way? He bit his lip as 59 matches came up. He had no idea where she had moved, so every network was fare game. Glancing at photos, he was at least able to move past several by guessing age alone. He had figured he would have seen this girl around school before she left, but none of the pictures looked at all familiar. So he started clicking on "View Friends" with each possible match. However, none of those names belonged to people at his school, either.

"Who's Patricia Patton?" Noelle asked, startling Tony as she appeared over his shoulder.

"Uh, she's this girl from school. Or, uh – she used to go to my school." He logged off the site and closed the laptop before looking up at his mom. "She, uh – She must've had my locker before 'cause I was cleaning it out today and I found this book in the back, _Wuthering Heights_. Anyway, her name was in it, so I figured it might mean something to her, so I was gonna send it to her. But I don't know where she moved to."

"None of her friends know?"

"I don't really know who she was friends with. She's a senior."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Well, why don't you just go into the office tomorrow and give them the book. They would have had to transfer her records like we did for you, so they must have a forwarding address. They'll just send the book on for you." She ruffled his hair then walked over to the refrigerator to start pulling stuffing out for dinner.

"Uh, when's Dad's gonna be home?"

"I'm not sure, honey. This serial case he's working is going to take up a lot of his time, especially now that the FBI's involved. I don't expect to see him 'til late." Noelle set some vegetables on the counter then looked over at her stepson. "Was Alyssa at school today?"

"No."

"I imagine she probably won't be for a few days. Your dad and I are okay with you calling her if you want. If you want to check up on her?" she suggested.

"Okay. I think I will. Later."

"Tony? You come pway with me now?" Katie requested as she ran into the kitchen.

Noelle smiled at the scene, her macho teenager trying his hardest not to turn into a pile of goo as soon as the little girl flashed him a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, short stuff. I'll come play with you 'til dinner. Then I got math homework. Though maybe I could teach ya how to do linear equations and you could do it for me," he muttered as he took her hand and let her lead her off.

Before turning back to preparing dinner, Noli's eyes fell upon her laptop. The explanation Tony had given her sounded a little contrived. However, she had no reason to doubt what he had told her, so she shook the thought away and returned to the task at hand. "I spend way too much time with detectives…"

**

* * *

**

"I can't stand that woman," Stella muttered as she wandered into the Trace Lab, grabbing the lab coat she had left behind on one of the hooks and pulling it on.

"Who?"

Her eyes shot up. She had not noticed that Adam was standing at one of the microscopes across the room.

"You, uh – You didn't go with everyone to Sullivan's?" she asked instead of answering his question.

"Nah. Thought I'd finish this up then go home and get a few hours of sleep before it starts all over again," Ross replied.

"Me, too," she agreed distractedly. She opened the envelope holding the evidence she had been working with earlier and laid it out on the table in front of her.

"You okay, Stel?" Adam inquired a few minutes later.

"Sure, I'm fine."

"Okay. Well, I'm just about done here, so I'm gonna call it a night. See ya in the morning?"

She nodded and watched the lab tech leave before she sat down on one of the stools with a sigh. She hated feeling like this. She was not used to the feeling, whatever it was. Jealousy? Stella Bonasera certainly was not the jealous type. She was strong and resilient. Besides, there was no reason for her to be jealous of Quinn Shelby, was there?

"_She pretty?"_

She scrunched up her nose. She remembered when Quinn had inspected the Lab years ago. How Mac had not seemed to mind having her around, and Don's response when she had stated that fact.

"I'm turning into a damned teenager," she muttered.

"I don't seem to remember any girls looking as beautiful as you when I was a teenager."

A smile crossed her lips as she glanced up and saw Mac standing in the doorway. "Hi."

"Hey. Time to call it a night."

"This case –"

"Sadly, I think this case rests now on what we find in those files Social Services won't have for us until morning. So I'm going to take you home, pour you a glass of Chardonnay, and…Well, we'll see." Mac smiled then, though he glanced over his shoulder as if ensuring that the corridor was still as empty as it had been moments before.

"Your home or mine?" she asked as she started to pack up the evidence.

"Mine's closer. But maybe we should start talking about that," he said, clearing his throat a little nervously as he walked further into the room. How was it that the always confident and self-possessed ex-Marine always managed to lose some of his sense when he was within two feet of the beautiful woman before him.

Stella quirked an eyebrow, abandoning the task at hand. "Mac…"

"I know, I know. You're an extremely independent woman and you're not ready to give up your own space."

"Mac, it's not that. It's just –"

"You don't trust this?"

She bit her lip.

"I'm not like the other men you've been, Stella. You know that I would protect you with my life." Seeing the look that crossed her face, he smiled slightly as he added, "Not that you need anybody to protect you. Listen, what I'm trying to say is that this is not something casual. When I look at you, I see the future. I, uh – I never thought I'd have that again; that I'd be ready for it, or even want it, if the opportunity arose. But Stella, you're my future."

The Greek woman felt completely overwhelmed. She also felt completely silly for the few passing thoughts she had earlier that Quinn Shelby could ever be any kind of threat to her relationship with Mac. "I love you, Mac. I knew it long before Katie decided to pronounce it to the world, though I know I don't tell you nearly enough."

He smiled, closing the short distance that remained between them. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently.

"Mac Taylor, a public display in the Crime Lab? Isn't this breaking every single one of your rules?" she teased him.

"Tell me you'll at least think about moving in together," he said, keeping her close, not caring at that moment if anyone saw them.

"I'll think about it," she agreed, seeing the affection in his eyes and believing that maybe, this one time, things wouldn't end as all of her other relationships had – with pain and disappointment. She sighed then. "You probably should have put in an appearance at Sullivan's."

He shook his head. "This is Don's case. Besides, it ended up just being Emily, Derek and David that went over."

"Speaking of Don, you heard about attempted rape he called in the other night?"

"Yes. We actually had quite a long conversation about it Saturday when he came in. He's not convinced anything actually happened. The girl's apparently quite troubled. He thinks she was just trying to get her father's attention. Or maybe even Tony's."

Stella shook her head. "Don and Noelle did a good thing when they took in that kid, but it's hardly been easy for them."

"No, but Tony's a good kid. And if this girl is as troubled as Don suggested, then having a friend like Tony might be the best thing for her."

"You know, Don and Noelle should be the first people we tell."

Mac raised his eyebrows. "Tell what?"

"That we'll be sharing an address."

Realizing the implication of what she had just said, he smiled broadly. He took her hand then and brought it to his lips. "Or we could just tell Katie. As far as I can tell, she is the most efficient way to disseminate important information."

**

* * *

**

Don sat back in his chair around the table at Sullivan's. Danny and Hawkes had dragged him along after deciding to take Agents Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi to the bar, the agents having asked about some place nearby where they could get a bite to eat and a drink. As he nursed his Guinness, he could not deny that it was probably good for him to get away from his desk and unwind a bit for heading home. It had been a very long day after an even longer weekend. While he felt hopeful with having the BAU there to help with the serial murder case, they still did not have any suspects or even any tangible leads.

"Wow, twins under two and another child on the way," Derek Morgan whistled low as he looked at the picture Danny had pulled out of his wallet of his family. "But you have a beautiful family, man."

"Thanks," Danny replied with a proud smile. "I'm sorry Linds isn't in on all of this. She's a good investigator. Though she almost delivered our twins on the roof of the Crime Lab, so I ain't sorry Mac ordered her to take leave early this time."

"What about you, Flack? You got any kids?" Derek asked.

Don nodded with a smile then at the mention of his family. "Yeah. Two. Tony's fifteen, and Katie will be three in a few months."

David Rossi quirked an eyebrow. "You've got your hands full. A teenager and a toddler."

Don took a sip of his beer. "You don't know the half of it. Ah, they're good kids. Though my wife gets most of the credit. She puts up with a hell of a lot."

"It's difficult having a family in our line of work," Rossi commented knowingly.

"Yeah, it is. But Noelle's amazing. She makes the effort it takes worth it." He pulled out his wallet and, like Danny, proudly showed off the picture of his family that he always carried with him. "Before Noli came into my life, I think I let the job take over. It's a lot easier now to leave it at the precinct. But you must find that far more difficult, when you're dealing with getting into these people's heads the way you do."

Emily could not deny the fact. Successful relationships did not seem to happen with the members of their team. Aaron had come close, but now divorced, these days he was lucky to even see his son. And while Jennifer was the only one even in a committed relationship, even she was struggling, trying to reconcile her job with being a new mother.

The six chatted amicably, getting to know each other. Don had taken an instant liking to everyone on the BAU's team. They were all very different in background and personality, but all had a passion for what they did that he had no difficulty in relating to. As they talked about everything, from their jobs to where they all came from and their families, he felt comfortable enough to mention the current situation with Tony. Danny had known, but this was the first that Sheldon was hearing about it. He quickly piped up and said he was willing to look into the case after hours, if Don thought that would help.

"I appreciate it, Hawkes. But I don't think we're gonna find anything. They didn't collect any physical evidence at the scene aside from her clothes. And she won't give up a name. He father thinks this is just another incident of acting out in what is apparently a long line."

"Maybe we should look at the murder case in Connecticut," Danny suggested. "Her father said they never found the guy, right? Maybe a fresh pair of eyes…Might give that family some closure."

"We don't got time to be lookin' into another case, Messer," Don scoffed, though he was grateful for the support his friends were offering.

"Linds does. She's sittin' at home right now thinkin' up ways to make me pay for knockin' her up again. Trust me, I would appreciate bein' able to give something to take her mind off of waitin' for this kid to arrive. You know she can't say no to a mystery."

"I've got some friends in Hartford. I can make some calls," Rossi offered.

"I appreciate that, David, but I don't want to get you involved."

"It's just a phone call, Don. It's no problem. And from what you've said, it might be the only thing you can do for that family."

"Then I don't know how to thank you." Don pulled out a pen from his suit jacket pocket and wrote down Ben and Alyssa's names on a napkin for him. "You know, my wife's a writer and a huge fan of yours. Would you be willing to sign her book for her?"

Rossi offered a small smile, a hint of embarrassment in his expression. "Of course."

"Wait, she's a writer?" Emily piped in then. "Noelle Flack?"

Don nodded.

"She writes for _Moda Bella_ magazine."

"Yes," Flack confirmed with a proud flash of his dimpled grin.

"Oh my God, she's brilliant."

Derek rolled his eyes a little at the mention of a fashion magazine.

Prentiss slapped him playfully in the arm. "She writes fiction, Morgan. Beautiful fiction. She's got incredible insight."

"We keep telling her that she'd be a great profiler, " Danny agreed. "But I guess livin' with Flack makes her want to stay as far away as she can from law enforcement."

Don shook his head with a laugh at the ribbing he had come to expect from his best friend.

"Is she working on anything else?" Emily asked hopefully.

"Yeah, actually, she's writing her first novel."

"I'd love to meet her. I'm thrilled to hear she's writing a novel. Her short stories always leave you wishing there was more. I mean, you talk about us getting inside people's heads. She writes so authentically."

The group hung out a while longer, then Don took his leave and headed home. It was after nine when he walked through the front door. Katie was fast asleep with Rocco standing guard as he did most nights. Tony was up in his room finishing his homework. But Don found his wife curled up on the couch watching _24_. He wandered in after locking away his gun and badge and hanging up his coat, slumping down next to her and greeting her with a languid kiss. "You still horny?" he teased her.

She smiled but he could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't feeling well.

"When'd it start?"

"After dinner. I felt pretty good all day then it just kind of hit me."

He furrowed his brow, reaching over and running a hand through her hair before settling it against her cheek. "Would it make you feel any better to know I met your biggest fan tonight?"

"What are you talking about? How do I have a fan?"

"One of the BAU profilers, Emily Prentiss, knows your work. She was very excited when I told her you had a book coming out."

"Really?"

He nodded. "See and you always thought I was just trying to get you into bed when I said you were good."

She laughed softly.

He leaned over and kissed her gently. "How's Tony?"

"Hard to tell. He seems okay. He tried calling Alyssa after dinner, but her father said she didn't want to talk to anyone." She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should mention the weird feeling she'd had when she found Tony trying to locate that girl. However, she decided she was just being paranoid and Don had enough on his mind. Instead, she said, "Maybe you should try talking to him. He could very well be all right, but we both know he could also just be bottling everything up because it's not just this situation alone that he's dealing with."

He nodded.

"Before you go, how'd it go today? Does it look like the BAU can help?"

"Yeah. It was a good call, askin' them to come in. They went in the complete opposite direction for where we were headed, so they probably saved us a bunch of time we don't have. And they're a good group. Reid's a little weird, but…"

"What's David Rossi like?" she asked a little excitedly.

"He's pretty cool. Scary brilliant."

"And you got along with him?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Two strong egos in the same room..." she explained with a smirk.

"You and this talk of ego all the time. I gotta remind you that you married me? Must not have bothered you too much."

"Nah, I find your arrogance ridiculously sexy. A complete turn on."

"Now I'm arrogant?" he scoffed. "I'm gonna go check on our kid before you dig yourself any further into that hole."

She laughed, pulling him over into a kiss before he could get away. "Cocky, arrogant, handsome, smart, an amazing lover…"

"Now you're talkin', doll." He kissed her forehead. "You just remember that when you start droolin' over Jack Bauer there."

"I'm well aware that Jack Bauer is a fictional character. Keifer Sutherland, on the other hand…Can I drool over him? He's Canadian you know. Went to school just down the street from Uncle Mike."

"Then no, you can't drool over him. C'mere…" He kissed her again languidly. However, finally, he pulled away with a bit of a frustrated groan. "If you're not feelin' well, we're not gonna be able to finish this, so I'm gonna go talk to Tony. Why don't you go up to bed?"

"Now that you're home safe and sound, I'm not going to argue with you."

After locking up, Don took his wife's hand and led her upstairs. She kissed his cheek before heading on down to the master bedroom while Flack knocked softly on his son's door. After being granted permission to enter, he opened the door and took a few steps inside.

Tony was sitting at the desk working on his algebra homework. He set his pencil down and looked at his father. Not really wanting to talk about what he figured Flack was there to talk about, he took a pre-emptive strike and said, "I googled that David Rossi guy. Was it cool getting to meet him?"

Don shrugged. "Yeah, he's an interesting guy. So, how're you doin'?"

He knew there was no way out of it, so he vaguely replied, "I'm okay."

"Yeah? How was school?" He walked over and sat down on the foot of Tony's bed, letting the boy know he was not leaving until he got some decent answers out of him..

"Fine. I aced a pop quiz today. Had to name all of Henry the Eighth's wives."

"I'm only two seasons into _The Tudors_. Would've only been able to get ya up to Jane Seymour," Flack quipped. His expression sobered then. "Nol said you tried to get a hold of Alyssa tonight."

"Yeah, but I just talked to her dad. He said she didn't want to talk to anyone, not even me."

"Well, you know, she's been through a lot. She probably needs some time."

"If she would just tell everyone that it was Eli…"

"Tony, remember what I said. You don't know what happened and you can't just accuse someone of something this big without any proof."

Tony slumped in his chair, nodding. "But something happened to her and nobody believes her. Not even her own dad." He did not add what he was thinking, _So how is anyone gonna find any proof?_

Don took a breath, furrowing his brow. It was obvious that Tony was still convinced she had not make the whole thing up. Flack worried that his son was headed for a very big and painful fall. "Alyssa has had a rough time, buddy. Sometimes, when something happens to you like it did when her mother died –"

"My mom's in jail and my uncle's waiting to go on trial for murder and drug smuggling. I wouldn't lie about something big just because all that happened to me."

"That's a valid point. But people deal with things differently. I don't know what to tell you, man. I wish I had all the answers for you. All I can tell you is that no matter what, Nol and I will do whatever we can for you. Always." Don stood up and walked over to his son. He leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Just 'cause I'm workin' this big case doesn't mean I don't got time for you. I'll always make time for you and Katie. So you need anything, you ask. Even if I'm at work, you just call me."

"Okay."

Don glanced down at the algebra homework Tony had been working on. "Well, unless you need help with _that_."

Tony laughed at that. "If I was really your kid, it would explain why I have so much trouble with this stuff."

"Everybody has trouble with this stuff, kid. Except Noli. She may be beautiful and brilliant, but knowing how to figure out this stuff, that – that just ain't normal."


	110. Progression

"Whoa, little man. You just hang on for a sec there, all right?" Danny suggested, scooping up Matteo in his arms before the little boy could escape from the bathroom where his father had just struggled to get him cleaned up after breakfast. Danny set his son back down on the edge of the counter top, crouching down in front of him so they were eye level. "How 'bout we have a little chat?"

The twenty-one month old looked at his father innocently with clear blue eyes that Lindsay claimed were exact replicas of his father's.

"So your mama tells me you're not real happy about the idea of havin' a new baby in the house."

Matteo furrowed his brow. "No baby," he pouted.

Danny looked at his son sympathetically. While Olivia seemed too excited for words about the impending birth of their new baby sibling, Matteo was less than enthused. "I promise you, buddy, havin' a baby brother or sister is gonna be great. The baby's gonna look up to you and think you're just the coolest big brother in the world, and you're gonna get to teach them all sorts of stuff…But no matter what, your mama and I are gonna love you just as much as we always have. Nothin' will ever change that, okay? I promise you, kiddo."

"Wuv you, Da-Da," Matteo replied, reaching out and hugging his father tightly around the neck.

The tough Staten Island native just about melted. Nothing quite got to him like hearing those words come from his children. "Ah, I love you too, buddy." His kissed the top of his son's head, then helped him hop down to the floor. "All right. Your pop's gotta get to work."

While Matteo ran out to the living room where his mother and sister were, Danny grudgingly finished getting himself ready for work.

"I'm heading out," he announced a few minutes later as he hooked his gun and badge onto his belt and pulled on his jacket over his long-sleeved blue t-shirt and jeans. The twins were both on the living room floor playing with some of their toys, Lindsay seated only a couple feet away on the couch, leafing through a magazine with one hand while the other absent-mindedly stroked her very swollen stomach. Her golden brown curls were pulled back in a low ponytail, her face clear of any make-up, yet Danny had never seen a sight so beautiful.

"What?" Lindsay asked when she caught his expression.

He shrugged a little. "Nothin'. Listen, Ma will be here in 'bout half an hour. But just call me if you need anything."

She sighed as she set aside her magazine. "Danny, I don't need a babysitter."

"You might be five weeks 'til your due date, but you're already a week past where ya were when these ankle biters came along. There's no way I'm gonna risk you going into labour by yourself, a'right? I don't care if you think I'm bein' overprotective. Just humour me, will ya?"

She smiled will a slight roll of her eyes. "Fine."

"Besides, you like it when she comes. She cleans, she's more than happy to cook …"

"All of which I'm still more than capable of doing."

"I ain't disputing that, sweetheart."

"Uh-huh. You better get me that case file or I'm just going to have more time on my hands to rue the day I ever let you near me in those locker room showers," she said, though there was a glint in her eye and a hint of a smirk as the words escaped her lips.

Danny flashed the trade-mark Messer grin. "Ya know, babe, the words that came out of your mouth at the time certainly weren't complaints."

She bit her lip, her face colouring a little. "So, uh – Do you think you'll be able to get that info from Connecticut? Though, to be honest, I'd be happier if I was working Alyssa's current case."

He let the change of subject pass considering there were children in the room. "You'd just be wastin' your time, Montana."

She furrowed her brow. "I talked to Noelle, Dan. She doesn't think it's a waste of time. She thinks Alyssa is telling the truth."

"Hansen's not nearly as cynical about this as she should be. C'mon, Linds, we've seen people lie about a lot worse things to get a lot less. Besides, Don was there. Have you ever known his instincts to be wrong?" Messer pointed out.

"No, but I've never known Noelle's to be, either. And if that girl really made this all up…Think about what that's going to do to Tony. He's such a sweet boy. Something like this could really mess with him," Lindsay replied worriedly.

"Tony's already had to deal with a lot worse and he's doin' okay. And he's got Flack and Hansen in his corner and a whole lot of other people who care about him, right? Fact is, if Alyssa _did_ make all this up, she's not the kind of girl that should be in his life."

"I know. You're right." She bit her lip, watching Olivia and Matteo playing, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the conversation their parents were having. "I'm glad we've got a while before we have to worry about all this teenage drama."

Danny nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "Me, too. Listen, I'll try to be home in time for dinner tonight."

"As much as I'd like that, all that's important right now is that you guys make some headway on this case. I'll feel a lot better when that woman's off the streets."

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Not that I like us havin' to call in the Feds for help, but the BAU team seems to know what they're doing." He walked over and gave each of his kids hugs and kisses mixed in with some I love you's, then moved over to the couch and leaned down to kiss Lindsay gently, his hand falling to her large baby bump. "I love you both, too."

She smiled. "Be safe."

* * *

Tony waited until Wyatt Morris was alone, then he shut his own locker and crossed the bay. "Wyatt, you got a minute?"

The senior turned to his baseball teammate and flashed a grin. "Hey, Tony. Sure, man. What's up?"

"Did you know Patricia Patton?"

Wyatt nodded as he pulled out a text book and shut his locker. "Trish? Sure. I mean, not well, but yeah, we had some classes together. Why?"

"Do you know who she hung around with? I know she transferred, but I'm trying to track her down."

"Oh yeah? What for?"

"I just need to return a book I found in my locker."

"Well, I doubt you'll find out much, even if I knew who to point you towards. She just didn't show up for class one Monday, and by the end of the day, word was that she wasn't comin' back. I don't think anyone's been in contact with her since," Wyatt explained.

"That's kinda weird, isn't it?" Tony commented.

Wyatt shrugged. "Nah, probably not. She wasn't here long. I seem to remember her sayin' that she's had to move around a lot. Her dad's probably military or something."

"She went out with Eli Weston, right? Think he'd know where she is?"

The senior scoffed. "Yeah, right. Her departure was a bit of a blow to Weston's ego. I mean, the Friday before she left, they were all over each other at the Homecoming dance, then she was gone. Trust me, he doesn't know any more than the rest of us. Listen, why don't you just ask at the office? They probably have a forwarding address and can just send the book on for you."

"Yeah, right, the office. Okay. Thanks, man."

"No problem. Oh, hey, so I heard you were hanging around with Alyssa Montgomery? That true?" Wyatt asked.

"She's a friend," Tony replied a little warily.

"Well, be careful, all right? That girl's got some serious issues. I know you're just kind of gettin' the lay of the land around here, bein' new and all. So, just take some free advice and watch your back. You're a good guy and I'd hate to see ya get in over your head."

Tony frowned. "Yeah, uh, okay. Thanks, Wyatt."

"Anytime, man. Take it easy."

Tony watched his friend walk off then he practically growled in frustration. His investigation was going no where, and not only that, but he had yet to find anyone who had a decent word to say about Alyssa. How was it that he could be so far off base? After falling for Joseph's lies, he had become hypersensitive and overly suspicious. Had he still managed to end up getting completely snowed once again? The thought left him with a huge knot in his stomach, but an even more fervent desire to get to the bottom of all of this.

* * *

"I stay wi' you, Daddy?" Katie asked as her father led her by the hand into one of the elevators in the lobby of 1 Police Plaza.

"Just for a little while, cutie. Uncle Mark's gonna come pick you up after his meeting. But he told me that he was going to get a computer for you to play with while you're at his office. That sounds pretty cool, right?" Flack asked, hoping she was not going to be too upset over having to spend the day away from him and Noelle.

Noli had gotten less than an hour's sleep the night before despite her pain medication, and Don knew she was feeling it when she offered no argument against his suggestion that they ask one of their family members to take Katie for the day. Of course, the one day he needed to cash in on everyone's benevolent offers of help, nobody seemed to be available. Fortunately, Mark had finally picked up his brother-in-law's message and called him back, saying he would be more than happy to take his niece; he just had a meeting with a new client first that he could not postpone. Although Don was relieved, he was concerned about his daughter camping out at the precinct even for just a couple hours with all of the activity going on surrounding the serial case.

"I go Uncle Mark off-sis? It in the sky!" Her eyes lit up in excitement.

Don grinned at her exuberance, relaxing a little in the knowledge that he was not going to have a fight – or a little girl in tears – on his hands. "Yeah, his office is really high up, isn't it? But you know something? I think the Lab is even higher! We'll have to look out Uncle Mac's window and see." He crouched down in front of her then. "Will you be a good girl for me and stay in the Lab until your uncle comes?"

"'k, Daddy. I be good. And I dwaw picture for Mommy 'cause she feel yucky."

"You know what, cutie? I think that would just about make her day." He kissed her cheek, then straightened back up and took her hand again. Moments later, the elevator doors opened and he led her off and down the hall. He had already given Mac the heads up, and although the former Marine always seemed to welcome Katie's presence, Don could not help but feel a little guilty for the disruption yet again.

However, reaching Mac's office, the CSI was nowhere to be found. Don hesitated, due for a briefing in five minutes with Hill. Telling his captain that he was late because he had babysitting issues and his toddler was in the building would not go over well. "Here, let's get you settled, cutie." He picked her up and set her on the couch in the office, setting her Dora backpack up beside her. "Can you be a big girl and stay here for a second while I go see if I can find Uncle Mac?"

She nodded distractedly, already busy pulling out some paper and crayons.

Don had just gotten a few steps down the hall when Danny turned the corner. He waved down his best friend. "Hey, Mess, can you do me a favour?"

"What's up?"

"Mark's supposed to be pickin' Katie up in a couple hours. Mac was gonna let her hang out in his office, but he must've got called out or something. Any chance you could – "

"Hey, no prob. She can come hang with me. Can you just give me five minutes to drop my stuff in the locker room?"

"Uh, I'm supposed to be down getting railed on by Hill in like two minutes. I'll just tell her to wait for you and you can grab her?"

"Yeah. I'll be right there."

Don clapped his best friend on the shoulder gratefully and returned to Mac's office. He found his daughter kneeling at the coffee table by the couch, diligently drawing something with her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He flashed a dimpled grin. "Hey, cutie. Uncle Danny's gonna be by to get ya in a couple minutes. You need to stay right here and wait for him, okay?"

"'k, Daddy," she replied without looking up from her art project.

He chuckled. "Okay. I'll try and get back up to see ya before you leave with Uncle Mark, but if I don't, you have a good day and I'll pick ya up later. I love you, cutie."

This time she said nothing, chewing on her lip as she contemplated which crayon to use next.

Don just shook his head and headed out, barely a minute to spare before he was late for his meeting.

Katie finished with the blue crayon then remembered what her daddy had said about looking out Uncle Mac's window. She got up and walked over, pushing his chair from his desk to the window then climbing up on it and looking out. Her eyes widened at how high up she was.

When a few more minutes passed and Danny still had not come to get her, she decided she would just go and look for him herself, and maybe she would find Uncle Mac, too. She hopped down off the chair and walked over, pulling open the heavy glass door with some difficulty before wandering out into the corridor.

As the little girl walked through the maze of halls, her eyes lit up as she glanced through the glass walls at the big equipment. She hoped one of her uncles would show her how to use some of the shiny toys, like Aunt Stella had shown her how a microscope worked. She did not see anybody around to ask where her uncles were, so she kept walking. When she reached the elevators, she stared at the buttons. She knew that when her Daddy pressed one of them, they lit up, so she stood up on her tip-toes and hit the down button since it was the only one she could reach. Instantaneously, one of the elevator doors opened. She giggled and stepped on. She knew how this worked! She could only reach the bottom row of buttons, so she pressed P2, P1 and G.

The elevator went all the way down without stopping on any other floors, before the doors opened on the ground floor. Recognizing the lobby where her father had brought her in, she stepped off the elevator with a grin. This place was a lot busier than the Lab, she noticed, with grown-ups heading all over the place, some in fancy blue clothes.

Spencer Reid was on his way back from getting a cup of coffee to the conference room where the BAU team had set up camp when he saw the little girl step off the elevator. She was by herself so he knew something was not quite right. And even in a police station, a toddler wandering around alone was not a good thing. He set the foam cup down on a nearby counter and headed over. "Uh, hey there."

Katie stopped, her eyes widening at the man standing in front of her.

Spencer crouched down in front of her. "Are you lost?"

She said nothing, just staring at him. Mommy and Daddy told her never to talk to people she did not know. Her mother had made sure especially that the lesson was drilled into her after the day Carlos Caravaggio had approached them in the coffee shop in the village.

Reid scratched his temple, furrowing his brow. "Uh, what's your name?"

She remained tight-lipped, clasping her hands in front of her.

"I'm Spencer. I'm working here right now." He pulled out his badge and ID from his pocket then.

She took the ID and looked at it. "F. B. I.," she said slowly as she traced her fingers over the letter. "What that?"

Reid was a little taken aback that a child that small knew the letters. He recovered quickly. "It, uh – It's the agency I work for. Like how the people here work for the NYPD."

"That my Daddy!" she exclaimed, recognizing those letters.

"Your dad works here?"

She nodded happily, then realized she had just spoken to him. She furrowed her brow.

"Do you know your father's name?"

"Daddy!" she replied without thinking about it.

Spencer sighed. "Right. Uh, does your mommy call him something else?"

She just shook her head. He seemed nice enough but she still was not sure she should be talking to him. "I go find Uncle Danny now."

"Your uncle is here, too?"

She nodded with a grin. "Daddy say I wait in Uncle Mac's off-sis for Uncle Danny but he not come yet so I go wook for him," she explained.

Danny. Mac. What were the odds? She had just stepped off the elevator. He figured she could only be speaking of Messer and Taylor. "Were you upstairs in the Crime Lab?" he asked.

She nodded excitedly.

"Jesus, Katie! What the…?" Danny breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped off the elevator and saw the little girl talking to Reid. He rushed over and crouched down in front of her. "Sweetheart, you can't wander off like that."

"I sorry, Uncle Danny," Katie said quietly.

Danny glanced up at Spencer. "Thanks for watching her. Damn budget cuts. The rent-a-cop security guard upstairs actually saw her get on the elevator and didn't think to stop her. Needless to say I'm about to hand him his ass now that I found her."

"Are you and Mac Taylor brothers?" Spencer asked a little incredulously.

Danny looked at him as if he had three heads. "What? Me and Mac? No."

"She referred to you both as 'uncle.'"

Danny stood up, his hand finding Katie's. "Ah, right. No, she's Flack's kid. She's grown up around the team so she calls us all aunts and uncles. Her real uncle's supposed to be picking her up in a couple hours and she was _supposed_ to stay put in Mac's office but I guess her curiosity got the better of her." He glanced down at her and received another apologetic look in response.

"I wooking for you, Uncle Danny," she explained.

"She's a very smart kid," Spencer commented.

"She's a freakin' genius," Danny replied, then remembered who he was talking to. Spencer Reid seemed like a decent guy and a good enough agent, but Messer hoped Katie grew up a little less socially awkward. "Just don't tell her any secrets or the entire department will probably know within the hour."

Katie looked up at Spencer with a grin then. "I gwow in a other mommy's tummy and I got a big bwother and a Wocco. You can be my fwiend now."

Spencer crouched down in front of her and extended his hand. "Thank you, Katie. It's very nice to meet you."

She giggled and shook his hand. "You come pway with us?"

"I wish I could, kid, but I have some work to do. Maybe later."

"'k." She looked up at Danny. "Now we go wook at micwoscopes?"

Danny laughed at her persistence. "Yeah, sure, kid. See ya later, Reid."

Spencer stood up, waved and headed off.

Danny looked down at his charge. "All right, kiddo, your father _never _hears about this. _Capisce_?"

**

* * *

**

Don walked out of Hill's office, desperately needing a cup of coffee. He crossed the bullpen and poured himself a cup of the sludge that passed amongst the Homicide Squad. He knocked back a few sips of the bitter liquid then decided to go check on Katie.

Before he could get too far, he was intercepted by David Rossi. "I made those calls to Connecticut. The case file is being sent over," Rossi explained.

"Thanks, David. I really appreciate that. Here, walk with me. I've got to run up to the Crime Lab."

As the two men headed out and towards the lobby, David said, "Ah, yes, I heard your daughter is here."

Don quirked an eyebrow.

"Reid met her. I think she took a bit of a field trip."

"_What_?"

David was about to explain until he noticed the look on Flack's face. He followed his gaze to the man and teenaged girl standing at the reception desk.

"Excuse me," Don said, leaving David and crossing the lobby. "Mr. Montgomery? Alyssa?"

Father and daughter turned to the source of the voice. Benjamin Montgomery looked a little relieved at seeing a familiar face. "Detective Flack."

"Hey there. You hear to speak with SVU?"

"Alyssa has something she needs to tell them."

Don nodded. "That's, uh – That's good."

"No, you don't understand. She's here to tell them what she finally told me earlier this morning. I'm very sorry about this whole thing, Detective."

Don's eyes narrowed, as he came to understand what her father was saying. He glanced at Alyssa who had kept her gaze averted the entire time, but he noticed a couple of tears fall to the ground. "Alyssa?"

"It's okay, sweetheart. But you need to tell him. We need to make this right."

Alyssa hesitated for a moment, before she finally raised her eyes and looked to her father. Finally, she took a breath and looked up at Don. "I, uh – Nobody was there. What I told – What I told Tony? I – I made it up. I – I'm really sorry."

**

* * *

**

Tony stepped out of the subway station and glanced around. Admittedly, he was feeling a little guilty. He knew he should not have skipped out on last period, and was already trying to come up with some plausible excuse in case it got back to his parents. However, he was also feeling a little vindicated. Well, at least a little satisfied. Finally, he was getting _somewhere_.

His plan had gone better than he could have expected. The office was barely staffed during the lunch hour, students filling in at the reception desk. And fortune had finally decided to smile on him, because Candice McLean was one of the students on duty. He felt a little bad playing on her crush because he had flirted to get the information he was seeking. But she _was _cute so he would definitely make it up to her. For now, all that mattered was that he had in his hands an address for Patricia Patton. And as if to prove even more that the gods were on his side, she was still in New York City. She had not moved – she had merely transferred school districts.

He walked down the block and just as he reached the front of the high school in Manhattan, the last bell rang. He rubbed his hands together a little nervously. He hoped he remembered what she looked like after only getting a quick glance at a picture he had found in the yearbook in the library. Of course, he had no idea what he was going to say.

The doors opened and a wave of students started to exit the building. He kept his eyes peeled for the high school senior, while at the same time he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He sighed, praying it wasn't his mom. What was he going to tell her if she was calling to order him straight home from school? He thought about ignoring the call, but knew that would just make things worse. He pulled the object out of his pocket and glanced at the call display: Unknown Number. And it was not a call, but a text message that had been received. He clicked "Read Message" while glancing back up at the sea of students. But as he quickly looked back down at the message on the screen, his investigation took an unexpected turn:_ Leave it alone._


	111. Perspective

**A/N **I am terribly sorry about the delay between chapters. Real life has pretty much sucked lately. Let's just say I did not have to do any research to write Noelle recently (just wish I had a Flack!). Anyway, I've been relying on some heavy medication which first translated into some writing apathy and then into writer's block. Things still suck but at least I had a burst of creativity the past couple days (at least I hope it comes across that way with this chapter). If it flops, blame the drugs LOL Anyway, here goes…

* * *

Seeing that Mac was wrapped up in whatever he was looking at, Don hesitated to interrupt. He stood out in the corridor for a moment before finally rapping on the glass door to the office and walking inside.

Taylor glanced up, almost sighing in relief at the appearance of a distraction. "Don, hey. C'mon in."

Flack walked further inside, looking a little apprehensive. "Listen, if this is a bad time, I can come back."

Mac smirked. "We're in the middle of a serial murder case with no leads and I've got the Brass on the phone every other second. On top of that, I'm short-staffed with Lindsay gone, the Lab's backed up, and the only reason _I'm _not out there processing myself right now is because I have a pile of resumes to get through so we can get some help in here. There's no such thing as a good time right now. But sit down. Something tells me you've got somethin' on your mind."

"Yeah." Don sat down in one of the visitor's chairs. "Remember when that whole thing with Viktor was goin' on and we thought we might lose Katie? You said if I ever needed to talk…"

Mac shut the folder holding the resume he had been reviewing and clasped his hands in front of him on the desk. "What's going on? Or do I even have to ask?"

"Alyssa came in a few hours ago, recanted her statement. Says she made the whole thing up."

"Don, I'm really sorry. Have you told Tony yet?"

"No. I thought about goin' over to the school, pullin' him out for the afternoon so we could talk, but with this case – I guess I'm tryin' to put it off. It's gonna tear him up. He really believed in her. And I think he kind of wanted to play her hero, you know? Be there for her, help her through this. The kid's got a heart like you wouldn't believe in spite of everything he's been through." Don sat back in the chair.

Mac studied his friend for a moment. "How's Noelle?"

"I tried callin' a couple times, but she wasn't pickin' up. Hopefully that means she's sleeping." He leaned forward, burying his head in his hands for a moment. When he finally glanced back up, Mac could tell he was fighting back tears. "I don't know what to do for her, Mac. I love that woman more than anything and there's not a damn thing I can do for her. What kind of husband can't fix things for his wife?"

"This is out of your hands, Don. You're not a doctor and you're not God. Now, I know I don't know Noelle anywhere as well as you do, but I'm pretty damn sure she's not sitting at home right now wishing you were doing more and wondering why you haven't fixed this for her yet. And I know the last thing you need on top of worrying about her is to carry a serial case on your shoulders while trying to figure out how to handle this thing with Tony. They say you're never given more than you can handle, and I know you've got some pretty strong shoulders. But I hope you know you don't have to carry all of this by yourself."

Don took that in. He knew Mac was right. He knew that part of his make-up was a need to feel in control and he did not do well when things were out of his hands. Knowing that did not make it any easier, however. "You know, Nol and I are comin' up on our first anniversary."

Mac smiled at that. "Wow. It's hard to believe that Stella and I were dancing at your wedding a year ago."

"Yeah. This time last year, Katie had the chicken pox and my bride-to-be was convinced the wedding was never gonna happen. I wonder if she had really paid attention to all those things she thought were signs –"

"She wouldn't have wanted to do anything different."

"It's been a difficult year."

Mac laughed softly. "The first year always is, no matter what you're dealing with. They say if you can make it through the first year, you're chances of making it rise exponentially."

"That true or did you just make that up to make me feel better?" Don smirked.

Taylor shrugged. "You're a detective, I'll let you figure that one out. Look, Don, you and Noelle, you've got something a lot of people only hope to have. I mean, look at the family you've made together."

"It is pretty great, isn't it?" He took a deep breath. "Thanks, Mac."

"I'm not sure I did anything…"

"You did. You helped me put things back into perspective. You reminded me that even with all of this stuff goin' on, I'm still an incredibly lucky man. I needed that." He stood up. "I should get back downstairs. Will sent over a bunch of files from Jersey's DCF. I need to finish helping Morgan, Prentiss and Rossi go through them. I'll, uh – I'll see ya later. Thanks again."

"Anytime, Don. I mean that."

Flack nodded, and headed out. He took the time during the ride down in the elevator to get his head back in the game before he returned to the conference room where he had spent most of the afternoon, while Agents Hotchner, Reid and Jarreau went through death records from the coroner's office with his brother in Jersey City. It was all tedious work that had led to more than a little frustration, especially since the BAU had warned that they should pay attention to _everything _that looked at all suspicious, not just what might fit their preliminary profile. That meant going through each file with a fine-toothed comb, looking for any parent who may have snapped enough upon losing their own child to go on a murder spree of others.

"You okay?" Rossi asked Don as the homicide detective retook the seat he had been occupying before escaping for his chat with Mac.

"Long day," Don replied.

David nodded. "Made longer, I'm sure, with Alyssa's confession."

"Yeah. I'm still not sure how to break that to my son."

"I know what she told you, but I can't shake the feeling that there's more to it. She looked terrified."

"Wouldn't you be if you were about to tell the police that you made up the story about almost being raped?"

Rossi considered for a moment. "Maybe."

Don sighed. "SVU's closing the case. In retrospect, it's good she never gave us a name. That kid's life could've been ruined, even with everything being dropped." He ran a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up a bit. "You think we're gonna catch this killer before she hits again? It feels like we've still got nothin'."

"I know it feels like you're looking for a needle in a haystack, but something will turn up. In the meantime, we hope that she makes a mistake or we uncover some evidence before she takes another victim."

Don turned back to the reports he had been looking through, hoping for something – _anything_ – to jump out and at least give them some kind of lead. He hated serial cases. Not only were there multiple victims involved, but there was no way of keeping the public out of the case. They inevitably demanded answers and accountability, which he could not even deny was their right. However, the failure to offer up a suspect yet only raised the volume of their outcry. And when the public was involved, the mayor's office got involved, which meant the NYPD brass were defensive and breathing down the necks of the detectives, beat cops and lab techs to come up with answers. Mac was feeling it, and Don as lead detective was getting the brunt of it. To top it off, this case was even worse than the last serial case the city had seen – that of the cabbie killer – because the victims were children.

Half an hour later, Don's cell buzzed in his pocket. He pulled the object out, expecting to either see his brother's number or Noelle's on the call display. He was surprised to see Tony's cell phone come up. "Hey, kid, what's up?" he greeted his son. It was pushing four-thirty so he figured he was about to hear a plea from the boy to let him go to one of his friends' houses for dinner or go out with the guys despite it being a school night.

"Promise you won't be mad?" Tony began.

Don sat back, shaking his head. "No father gets all warm and fuzzy when his kid starts off like that."

Tony hesitated on the other end of the line.

Flack heard the sounds of car horns honking and the voices and shouts of children in the background over his son's silence. He furrowed his brow. "Tony, where are you?"

"Uh, outside a high school in Manhattan. Look, Dad, I got a weird text message and then there's this whole thing with Trish. I think I'm finally on to something."

"On to something?" He leaned forward, burying his head in one of his hands. "You've been running your own investigation after I explicitly told you to stay out of it? What did I tell you about getting yourself mixed up in this, Tony?" Don said angrily.

"Look, I know what you said, but I was just doin' some checking around. You know, I figured maybe Eli Weston had done this before so I looked up the last couple girls he'd dated. The first girl wouldn't even talk to me. And then I found out his last girlfriend transferred out of school last month but she didn't move – she just changed schools. So, I came to talk to her and while I was waiting, someone sent me a text that said, 'Leave it alone.' Obviously, I'm on to something and it's makin' someone nervous, right? And Trish –"

Flack almost groaned in frustration. Despite what had happened earlier with Alyssa, this bit of news was unsettling. In concert with Rossi's feeling that something was off, he could not help but be concerned. "Get your ass over to the precinct _now _and we'll talk about this. I mean now. Get on the train and come straight here, you hear me?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"I'm serious, Tony. If you're not here in twenty minutes, I'm sending a squad car out lookin' for you," Don threatened.

"I promise, Dad. I'll be there. Twenty minutes. Bye."

Hearing the call disconnect, Don threw his cell down on the table. "Unbelievable."

"Gotta love teenagers?" Emily asked with a sympathetic smile.

"There a rule against killing them when they act stupid?" he sighed.

"It kinda comes with the territory," Morgan piped up, then laughed softly. "Well, I can only speak for myself back in day."

Don laughed at that. "Yeah, I guess I did this to my old man a time or two."

"What's going on?" David asked.

"Tony's been conducting his own investigation. Thinks he's got a lead."

"What did he find out?"

Don exhaled a long, deep breath. He related what Tony had disclosed in their short phone conversation. "C'mon, if I was this Weston kid and I found out some sophomore was goin' around askin' questions about me that could ruin my reputation, I'd probably be a little pissed off. He could be just trying to get him to back off."

"Or, he could really be on to something. Listen, I know what you think, but Alyssa was terrified earlier. I'm not so sure it had anything to do with her recanting her earlier statement."

Flack considered. "You think she could have recanted out of fear and not because she was lying the whole time?"

"I don't know. Did Tony say whether or not he actually talked to the girlfriend today?"

"No, he didn't. I didn't exactly give him the chance to."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to hear Tony out. And_ then_ ground him."

Don chuckled. "Yeah, well, you're right about the grounding part. The last thing I need is my son following in my footsteps without the advantages of a gun, badge and the entire NYPD there to back him up. I just hope he's not already in over his head."

Fifteen minutes later, Don pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on in the lobby, relieved when his son came rushing in through the revolving doors. Spotting his dad, the teenager booked it over. He knew he was in trouble, but he was already holding out his cell phone with the text message up on the screen.

"I don't know whether to hug you or cuff you upside the head, kid. Either way, you're grounded and we're talkin' probably into your senior year. You hear me?" Don said, quickly looking his son over to make sure he had come to no physical harm.

"Fine, I get it. But Dad, Eli Weston raped Trisha Patton. That's why she left school. Guys like that, they get away with it once, they'll try it again, right?"

Don narrowed his eyes. "Slow down. How do you know this?"

"Trish told me. I got the text and I was about to leave to come here and she spotted me outside the school. She recognized me from Elgin. Look, she admitted it, Dad!"

"Tony, look, son, I wish I could just take your word for it, but we need some proof. Besides – Look, I don't know how to tell you this, but Alyssa was here earlier. She recanted her statement."

"What's that mean?"

Don sighed, seeing the confusion in his son's eyes and wishing like anything he could just snap his fingers and make this entire situation disappear. "It means she said she lied. She said she made the whole thing up."

Tony's eyes widened. "What? No. No, she couldn't have. Why would she do that? No, she's lying."

"Tony, yes, she lied."

"No, she's lying about making it up. I don't know why. Maybe she got a text message, too! Yeah, maybe that's what happened. It's possible, right? Maybe Eli threatened her. But he attacked her. I know it. Trish told me –"

"Tony –"

"No, Dad, look."

Don followed his son's gaze which had fallen onto the revolving doors of 1 Police Plaza where a teenaged girl flanked by a man and woman Don could only guess were her parents had just entered. The girl looked nervous yet determined, and when she saw Tony, she seemed to relax a little. She took her mother's hand before nodding towards Tony and his father then walked over a little tentatively.

"Trish," Tony said, his tone betraying his surprise that she had actually come. "Uh, this is my dad. He's a detective here."

Don nodded at Trisha then looked to her parents. "Detective Don Flack. I'm actually with the Homicide Squad, but I'd be happy to direct you –"

"We'd like to report a rape. Our – Our daughter was raped," Mrs. Patton said, nearly choking on the words.

Don took a breath. "I'll take you upstairs where someone with the Special Victim's Unit can take your statement. Trish, can I get you some water or something?"

She shook her head slowly. "My dad wanted to call the police before. I kept saying no. I just wanted to forget. But if he did it again, that's my fault, right?"

"It's not your fault," Tony assured her.

"Tony's right, it's not. Let me take you upstairs and we'll try to make this easy as possible for you," Don said empathetically.

Once he had settled the Pattons on the third floor with the SVU, Don escorted his son into the Homicide Squad's bullpen and sat him down in the visitor's chair. "I should call Noli. She's probably getting worried."

"What about Alyssa?"

"I don't know, son. Look, Trish's parents brought her clothes from the night of her attack. They'll be able to get some DNA evidence. If it matches what they pull off Alyssa's clothes…They may re-open her case. But at this point, without any physical evidence – I'm sorry, but right now, her word alone –"

"You mean because she said she lied?"

Don nodded.

"She was scared. Nobody believed her. And maybe like I said, Eli threatened her, too.

"I'm gonna have Adam look at your phone, see if he can trace where the text came from. Then we'll do a reverse search, see if any other threatening texts were sent from the source. But this is up to the police. I need you to trust us to do our job and you need to stay out of it." Don looked at his son seriously. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could have gotten yourself into? What if whoever sent that text decided not to be so cryptic? What if Eli came straight for you to shut you up? Do you know what it would do to your mother and me if anything ever happened to you? It nearly killed us when we thought you were just leaving the country. We wouldn't be able to take it if anything bad happened. Tell me you get that, Tony. Promise me you'll never do something this stupid again. I don't care if what you did broke this case wide open. It put you directly in the line of fire and that's _not_ okay with me. Tell me you get that."

Tony was overwhelmed by Don's words. He expected Don to be angry and probably even disappointed. But he had just expected a lot of yelling and then grounding. He was not prepared for the emotion. He should have been. Don and Noelle had more than proven over the last six months that he was a member of the family. That as far as they were concerned, he was a Flack. But there was nothing more Don could have said right then to drive that point home. "I get it," he finally said quietly. "Dad, I – I get it. I'm sorry."

Don leaned over and pulled his son into a one-armed hug. "I'm so mad right now I can hardly see straight. But I gotta hand it to ya, kid. Alyssa's lucky to have someone like you in her corner. You never gave up. But don't you ever think about playing amateur detective again. You make it through the Academy one day, there won't be a father more proud at your graduation. But until that day, you leave the cop stuff to those with the guns and the shields."

Tony hugged his father back tightly, and within moments, Don felt his son's shoulders shaking.

Flack pulled back, realizing his son was crying. "Tony…"

"He hurt her, Dad. He really hurt her."

Don nodded, feeling his pain. "I know, kid. I think you've been the only one right all along."


	112. Connections

Noelle hid her amusement as she watched her daughter shovel Cheerios into her mouth with her left hand, despite the spoon held tightly in her right. There was milk dripping down her arm thanks to the unsuccessful venture and Noli knew she should be chastising her little girl. However, in light of everything that had happened in the last few days, it hardly seemed like something to get all worked up about. In fact, because of its shear entertainment value, she was almost grateful for her toddler's antics. So instead of saying anything, she turned and poured herself another cup of coffee, steeling herself for the day ahead.

"I don't get why I can't go to school," Tony complained as he walked into the kitchen and slumped down in his chair at the table. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw what his sister was doing, and almost forgot that he was supposed to be sulking as he fought back a smirk.

"We talked about this last night, kiddo," Noli replied. "Your dad just wants to make sure it's safe."

"I can take care of myself," he argued. "Jerks like Eli Weston don't scare me."

"We don't know it was Eli that sent you that text. And I know that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, tough guy. But guess what? You're still a kid, we're still your parents, and it's written down somewhere that you have to listen to us and do what we tell you. And just so we're clear, _that_, my love, is why you're grounded."

"I just …" He trailed off. He knew why he was grounded. Noelle and Don had made it clear to him the night before. As proud as they were of him for sticking to his convictions and fighting for his friend, he had still disobeyed Don's order not get involved, and he had blatantly lied to Noelle. He knew that he should have taken his suspicions to his parents and deep down he got why they were mad. That didn't mean he had to like it, though. "Yeah, I know."

Noelle got a bowl out of the cupboard for him and walked over to the table, setting it down in front of him before taking her own seat at the table. "Listen, because of you, there's a good chance that Trish and Alyssa are going to get the justice they deserve and hopefully some closure. We're not denying that. But, honey, you took a big risk going about it the way you did. Do you have any idea what it would do to your father or me if anything happened to you? Like it or not, you're an important part of this family and we love you like crazy."

"An' I love you, too, Tony!" Katie proclaimed through a mouth full of cereal.

Neither Tony nor Noelle could resist the urge to laugh at the little girl who just wanted to be involved in the grown-up conversation.

Tony rolled his eyes slightly then. "I love you, too, rug rat." He looked at his mother then. "Can I call Alyssa?"

"Probably not today. Your dad wants to make sure the SVU has talked to her first. But once we get the okay, I'm sure she'll really appreciate having you there."

"I know she only took her statement back 'cause she was scared."

"I think you're probably right. And that's why she's going to need a lot of support to get through this. She's very lucky to have a friend who cares so much. That's something your dad and I are very proud of you for, sweetheart."

"You think Dad's gonna find out more about the case today?"

"He'll try and the SVU's providing a lot of professional courtesy in keeping him in the loop, but he's also really busy with this serial case he's working. I didn't even hear him leave this morning."

"He's a really good cop, you know. You could just tell at the station that everyone really respects him a lot."

Noelle smiled at the pride evident in his voice as he spoke about Don. She also knew that her husband already saw their son bleeding NYPD blue one day. As good a baseball player as he was, she was sure that following in his father's footsteps was probably a more realistic path for him. She was not quite sure yet how she felt about that. Worrying about her husband on the job was difficult enough. Having _both_ Don and Tony on the Force would no doubt keep her up nights. Fortunately, she had a few years before that would be a concern – as long as Antonio gave up playing amateur detective. One thing was for certain: Tony had the same thirst for justice that Don had. He also had an immeasurable amount of compassion in him. Considering all he had been through and seen in his short life, she was quite happy he had turned out that way instead of becoming cold and cynical.

"I hope I'm like him one day. You know, someone people respect," Tony added.

Noelle looked at her son seriously. "You already are. Just do me a favour? You have a big heart and good intentions. But you need to stop and think before you act. You're smart, Tony. Maybe too smart for your own good because you had to be. But just 'cause you're smart doesn't mean you've got all the answers."

He nodded slowly. "I know. I get it. I just wanted to help."

"I know, sweetheart. And I love you so much for that. But, believe it or not, Don and I _are_ rational adults and we would have listened if you had come to us with your suspicions. Please remember that in the future. You're not on your own anymore, honey. You don't have to take care of yourself. That's what Don and I are here for. And we're happy to do it because you and Katie are our world. You two are such an incredible gift, and you know, it's something I thought I'd never have."

"Because of the endometriosis?"

She nodded. "I always wanted a family and after I chose to have a hysterectomy, I was afraid I'd lost my chance. But you know something? Having you and Katie is more than I could have hoped for."

Tony smiled. "You know, you're pretty cool for a mom."

Noli laughed. "Well, I'm going to file that away to use against you when time comes – and I know it will sometime in the next few years – that you decide you no longer want to be seen with me."

He shrugged.

While Tony reached for the box of cereal and poured himself a bowl, Noelle took in her daughter who was just about finished playing with her breakfast. "You need a bath, pretty girl."

"No bath. We pway, wight Tony?" Katie asked hopefully.

"I think you gotta listen to our ma on this one, squirt. You're covered in milk. We'll play after."

Noelle took a moment to revel in his reference to _our ma_, and then shook her head. "Actually, first you have work to do. I called the school this morning and they're going to get all of your assignments together for the rest of the week and call me back. In the meantime, you've got your science project to work on and your English essay. So finish your breakfast, kiddo, then it's time to get down to work." She stood up and eased her daughter out of her booster seat. Then catching the look on her son's face, she smirked. "Still think I'm cool?"

**

* * *

**

Don groaned as he took a sip of the sludge that passed for coffee in the Homicide Squad's bullpen. He had been up since four a.m., at work since five. With everything that had gone on with Alyssa and Tony the day before, his responsibility to the case to which his unit was actually assigned had suffered, so he had taken it upon himself to get an early start before the team from the BAU arrived for another day of the tedious task of going through files.

He had come into an inbox full of emails. One was from Adam – he would try to get to work on Tony's phone as soon as he could, but the Lab was currently backlogged and there were other cases ahead in priority. A second email came from the lead detective in the SVU advising him that they were going to be bringing Elijah Weston in for questioning later that morning, a court order also in hand for a DNA sample. But until they had something from the Lab, some physical evidence that tied him to Trish's rape, there was a good chance the D.A. would not go ahead and file charges yet. That just reinforced Don's decision to keep Tony home from school. From the way Tony had described Eli, Don suspected the kid would be lawyered up by the time he arrived. However, he was also cocky and arrogant enough that he could inadvertently slip up. Either way, until Don knew who had sent Tony the text message, he was not taking any chances with his son's safety.

A third email came from Mac. All of the evidence in the two New York murders in the serial case had been processed and there was nothing to help them. The only thing they had was the evidence which linked the cases together and with those in Jersey City.

With a sigh, Don took his coffee and grabbed the case files for all four murders and spread them out in front of him on the table in the conference room. He wanted to review them before he went back to looking through the files from Jersey's DCF, making sure that everything was fresh in his mind so he could recognize any possible connections. He was also awaiting the same files from NYC's OCFS and the coroner's office. They were working on the assumption that because the first murder had occurred in New Jersey, the precipitating event had also happened there. But since the murderer had moved into New York, Don wanted to make sure they had all their bases covered.

An hour later, something he could not quite put his finger on was screaming out at him when Rossi, Hotchner and Reid walked in.

"Please tell me you at least got to spend some time with your family last night," Aaron commented.

Don nodded. "Yeah. I just came in early to try and get caught up."

"How's your son?" David asked.

"Actually, he's doing okay. The kid's pretty damn resilient. But I appreciate you asking and for all of your help." Don glanced up at Spencer then. "And I never got a chance to thank you yesterday for intercepting Katie's little field trip."

Spencer laughed softly. "She's a precocious little kid."

Don grinned. "Yeah, she is. Noli and I are gonna have our hands full when she gets to be Tony's age, that's for sure."

A couple hours passed. Don and the BAU agents continued their scanning of the files looking for anything that fit the profile they had put together, Prentiss and Morgan joining them before long. Every so often, someone would notice something that seemed a little off. They would talk things out until they found themselves dismissing the scenario. The way the team operated reminded Don of how he and the CSIs worked together, talking out theories, throwing out hypotheses. After working with the FBI agents over the past few days, Flack had come to appreciate their expertise and their rhythm. He had developed a whole new respect for their line of work. He could not imagine delving into the minds of criminals all of the time like the profilers did. It was difficult enough working some of the scenes he had to attend.

"Whoa. What was the name of the second Jersey victim again?" Don asked as he looked over one of the records from Jersey City's Department of Children and Family. "Megan – Uh, Halliwell, right?"

Morgan reached for the case file sitting in the middle of the table. "Yeah."

"She was adopted. I've got the forms here. Megan Jensen Halliwell. She was removed from her biological mother's home at eight weeks old, put in the system, adopted by the Halliwells just before she turned two. Our first NYC victim was adopted, too. I, uh – I remember talking to her father at the scene about it. It was part of what bothered me so much, you know, 'cause I connected it to Katie. I don't know why I didn't see this before. What about the other two?"

Rossi and Prentiss each grabbed one of the case files and flipped through it.

"There's nothing in here that says either way," Emily explained.

"Yes, nothing in this one, either," David replied. "But if these two were adopted as well, that suggests these victims are not chosen randomly."

"Her child was taken from her, supposedly so she would be better off, but then something happened and the kid died?" Flack wondered out loud. "So, maybe she's blaming the system and she's blaming the adoptive parents?"

"I think you just found our motive, Don," Rossi agreed.

"If we can cross-reference a foster parent or adoption record with a coroner's report, we should be able to find our killer," added Hotchner.

"But I'm thinkin' they're not both in Jersey City," Morgan cut in. "What if the child was taken from there, but then brought here? That's why nothing's jumped out at us yet. We've been looking all in Jersey."

Don sat back in his chair. "How would she know these other children were adopted?" he asked.

"She's been part of the system. She's either still accessing her contacts, or maybe after she lost her child, she started volunteering with DCF or something, some form of redemptive act before she snapped," David posited.

Aaron considered for a moment. "Morgan, Prentiss, make some calls over to Jersey DCF. See if you can't find out if there was a mother in the system who has either stayed in contact with her case worker or who tried to ingratiate herself into the office. And Don, can you check into deaths here in New York? I think we're looking at something accidental or sudden."

Flack nodded, standing up. "I'm on it."

As he headed back out and crossed the lobby towards the pit, for the first time in days, he felt like maybe they were making headway. Then as he passed by the interrogation rooms, he happened to glance inside and see Patrick Rivers from the SVU with a seventeen year old kid. Even sitting, the kid had an arrogance and swagger about him, and Don knew instantly that he was looking at Eli Weston. So he stepped into the side room and glanced through the one-way window, turning on the speaker just in time to hear the boy say, "C'mon, she was askin' for it. I'm the star of the hockey team. All the girls want a piece of me."

"Eli, shut up," hissed the well-suited man to his left, his lawyer Don presumed.

Flack furrowed his brow.

"What? I didn't _rape_ her. She wanted it. She was practically begging."

"You mean begging you to stop," Rivers fired back. "And we've got a second victim with the same story to back Patricia up. I see a pattern here, Elijah."

"What, Alyssa? That bitch got what was comin' to her. I'm just sorry I didn't get the chance –"

"Elijah, stop talking or I'm not going to be able to get you out of this!" his lawyer ordered.

The high school senior scoffed. "Don't worry, Bill. Dad –"

"You keep talking and your father won't be able to do anything, either. Just _stop_ talking."

Don turned off the speaker and shook his head in disgust. While he felt vindication for his son, he also felt a pang of remorse for ever doubting Alyssa. As a parent, he hated that this kind of stuff was happening right in his own backyard – his son had been in school with a boy who clearly thought he was entitled to rape a girl without any consequence. And part of Don doubted that it had been Eli that sent the text. More than likely, he had an entourage of hockey buddies and best friends backing him up.

As he walked away and headed back into the pit, Don was at least relieved that closing the case appeared to be easier that he was first expecting, what with the cocky high school senior shooting his mouth off and bragging in Interrogation Two. He slid into his chair with the intention of calling Sid to see if he could now find something that fit the newest profile. He only hoped he would have as much luck with his own case now that it appeared they were making some strides in hunting their serial killer. But first, he could not help but take a moment to silently laud his son's killer investigative skills – and wonder what it would be like to work alongside him in another ten years or so.


	113. So Close

"Noelle! How nice to see you, dear," Angelina Messer greeted as she opened the front door of Danny and Lindsay's apartment to Flack's wife.

"You, too, Mrs. Messer."

"Let me look at you. Beautiful as always. Though you're looking too thin. Is Donnie not taking good enough care of you? I'll be sure to have a talk with him!" She clucked her tongue and shook her head. "You, go sit. I'll make you food."

"Oh, that's so sweet, but it's not –"

"Now, now, _cara_, hush. Lindsay's in the living room. Go on in"

Noelle knew there was no point in arguing with a headstrong woman like Danny's mother, so she kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room. She found her best friend reading through a case file, the pages laid across her swollen belly. "Hey. Uh, you're mother-in-law is cooking for me," Noli greeted.

Lindsay just smirked as she put the file back together and set the folder aside, gesturing for Noelle to join her on the couch. "Welcome to my world."

The two friends shared a giggle as Noelle tucked a leg under her and sat down on the opposite end of the chesterfield. "Where are the twins?"

"Sleeping. God bless afternoon naps. And you know, Angie had a point. You look thin."

"No offense, but when you're carrying around an eight pound bowling ball in your belly, doesn't everyone look thin?" Noelle teased.

"Bitch," Lindsay shot back jokingly.

They both broke out laughing once again.

Lindsay finally sobered and looked at her best friend with concern. "How bad is it, sweetie?"

Noelle sometimes really hated that most of her closest friends and half her family were cops. There was no way to put anything past them. "More bad days than good. Doesn't help that my son's been off playing amateur detective and investigating a teenaged sociopath and my daughter's taken to wandering off when she's at the Lab…Oh, and I don't remember the last time Don and me had more than an hour together, and it's been four days since…Never mind. I'm sorry. I didn't come here to whine."

"Hey, go right ahead and vent. Just remember turn about's fair play."

"What do you have to complain about?" Noelle lowered her voice. "You've got your mother-in-law around twenty-four seven, cooking, cleaning, telling you you shouldn't do this or do that because you're about to pop. Really, what could possibly piss you off about that?" she teased.

Lindsay chuckled. "We were separated at birth, weren't we?"

"I don't know, but I'm so glad I got you along in the package deal."

"Me, too." Lindsay looked her friend over. "You know, you're not gonna want to hear this, but not only are you too thin, but you're awfully pale. Don't make me kick Flack's ass."

"I'd like to see you try lookin' like that, pregnant lady. But c'mon, seriously, it's not Don's fault. He treats me like a queen and worries about me more than he should. It's just been a bad few weeks, and all of the stress lately just makes things worse. But Donnie called earlier and said Eli Weston had been brought in and he pretty much confessed. Well, more like bragged his way through interrogation, apparently. It scares me that Tony's going to school with people like that, but at least he's off the streets."

"That's good news, sweetie. And more than any of us had expected at this point, right? Really, if it wasn't for Tony…"

"I know. Don and I spent most of last night asking ourselves how we could ground him when he broke this case wide open. But then we remembered that he'd disobeyed us and lied to us and generally put his life on the line. Then it wasn't so hard to put him under house arrest for the next six weeks."

Lindsay smiled. "But you've got to be proud of him, though."

"You kidding? I couldn't be more proud of that boy," Noli admitted easily. "That's why if I get home and find out he and Katie were playing video games while I was gone, I'm not gonna freak out. Although, there's a difference between me being proud and Don already envisioning him graduating from the Police Academy at the top of his class."

"I can see that, you know. He's a smart kid. He just needs a little impulse control. And tell me what fifteen year old has that."

"True. And at least I don't have to worry anymore about him mixing it up with that Weston kid. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near over for Alyssa. I know Eli didn't manage to finish the job, but I can only imagine the kind of scars she's going to carry from all of this. It took my mother years to recover." Noelle nodded towards the case file. "Is that from the murder of Alyssa's mother?"

Lindsay nodded. "But there's not much there. I don't know, it's an example of shoddy investigating if you ask me."

"That's because you're used to working with the best and having all the resources of the NYPD and the Crime Lab."

"Probably," she admitted. "You know, I hate that there's a serial killer out there right now, but I have to be honest: I hate _more_ that I'm not in on it. Is that terrible?"

"Of course not. Donnie would be the same way if he weren't heading this up."

"And Danny's had nothing but good things to say about the BAU agents they're working with. And when a local cop is praising the Feds, that's saying something."

"I know. Don has really liked working with them. And he even told me that one of them apparently loves _my_ work," Noelle admitted a little incredulously.

"Well, come on, what's not to love? You were born to write, just like Danny, Don and I were born to be investigators. You're seriously talented, and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend. Your stuff in _Moda Bella _is amazing, but even that's not realizing your true potential. I'm so excited that you're writing a book. Speaking of which, how's it coming?"

"Good, actually. Believe it or not, feeling like crap seems to get my creative juices flowing. Maybe it's the escapism of it. Or maybe it's the drugs," she kidded.

"So you're still on schedule?"

"Ahead." Noelle bit her lip. "Do you want to read it?"

"Are you serious?"

"Completely. Come on, Linds, I trust your opinion. Plus I know you're going a little stir crazy right now. I'll email you some pages."

"You just made my week. Seriously, Nol. I was hoping to bribe you for an advanced copy once it was done, but I'd be so honoured if you let me read some of it now."

Before either could say any more, Angelina walked into the room with a plate that was heaping with piping hot fettuccine Alfredo. She set it down on the coffee table in front of Noelle with strict orders that she was to finish it all, then Danny's mother announced that she was going to run out to market to pick up some ingredients for dinner and left the two friends alone once again.

"You better eat that. I'm not covering for you," Lindsay warned.

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon!"

"Well, you're too thin, I'm pregnant and hormonal, and you don't want to piss me off. So eat. And then you can slap me upside the head for starting to sound like my mother-in-law."

"Nah, I'll just rat you out to Danny," Noelle threatened.

"You wouldn't."

"I just might. C'mon, you at least have to help me. Because if I don't eat any dinner tonight because I'm full of pasta I'm gonna have both Tony _and _Don all over me."

Lindsay grinned then. "I'm so glad you came over today."

"Me, too."

**XXX**

"We play now, Tony?" Katie asked, walking into the living room with one of her dolls in her arms.

Tony glanced up from his math homework. "Hey, squirt. Uh, give me five minutes? Then how 'bout some Candyland since I'm not supposed to have the TV on, okay?"

"Yay! I be good 'til when, I pwomise." She walked over and knelt down at her play table, pulling out some crayons to work on a picture while she waited.

Tony shook his head with a smile at his baby sister, then turned back to his algebra homework. He was working out the last word problem a couple of minutes later when the phone rang. He reached over to the end table to pick up the cordless handset. "Yeah, Flack res. You got Tony."

"Tony, hello. It's Ben Montgomery. How are you, son?"

The teenager sat up a little straighter. "Uh, Mr. Montgomery. Hi, uh – Hello, sir. How – How's Alyssa?"

"She's doing better, especially since we just had a visit from the SVU. I hear we have you to thank for these recent developments."

"I didn't really do anything."

"I beg to differ. You never once doubted Alyssa and you fought from the beginning. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to repay you for doing what I, myself, failed to do," Alyssa's father said, his tone full of remorse. "Anyway, I just wanted to call and thank you. Listen, is your mother or father home?"

"Uh, no. Dad's at work and Noelle's visiting a friend."

"Would you have one of them give me a call once they return?"

"S-sure, yeah. Can I talk to Alyssa, though?"

"She just went to lie down. But I'll tell her you'd like to speak with her."

"Thank you, sir."

"You'll give your parents the message?" Mr. Montgomery requested.

"Yeah. Soon as they get home."

"All right, son. Take care of yourself. We'll talk soon. Goodbye."

"Bye." Tony hung up the phone and released a breath he had not even realized he had been holding.

Katie got up and walked over, climbing up onto the couch next to her brother. "We play baseball on TV now," she demanded.

Tony ruffled her hair. "Sorry, rug rat. Video games are off limits 'til Christmas for your big brother."

The little girl furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"'Cause I'm grounded, _again_."

"Why?"

"'Cause I did the right thing but the wrong way." He pulled his little sister onto his lap and smoothed down her chestnut coloured curls. "I actually did something really stupid. I was trying to help someone, but I shoulda talked to Dad and Noelle first. No matter what, always make sure you ask 'em for help if you need it, 'cause they know what to do. Remember that."

Katie nodded, though she did not quite understand what he was talking about.

"We're pretty lucky to have parents like them, squirt. Now, if I can only manage to keep myself out of trouble for a while, I'll be able to kick your butt at that video game again. I promise, as soon as my sentence is over, we'll play, all right? 'Til then, looks like it's Candyland or Monopoly."

"Candywand! I get it. And Mommy pway, too."

"Sure, but she might be awhile. She went to see Mrs. Messer. Do you want some apple juice?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded happily.

"'kay. You get the game out and I'll get you some juice." He kissed her cheek then set her back down on the floor while he disappeared into the kitchen. Though he had yet to speak to Alyssa, for the first time in days, he felt a little better. He _knew_ she had not been lying, and now everyone else knew it, too. And even better, Eli had been arrested. He would no longer have to lay eyes on the creep at school. He wondered if this sense of vindication was what his dad felt when he closed a big case. If so, he could definitely see himself being a detective one day if the whole baseball thing did not work out.

"Tony!" Katie beckoned from the living room. "I weady!"

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle. Then catching a snapshot of their family that was up on the fridge, he realized that if he played ball, he wouldn't be able to keep the streets safe to make sure that what happened to Alyssa never happened to his little sister. Don's gut instinct had been right about one thing: Tony was already bleeding NYPD blue.

**XXX**

"Hey, Sid, I hear ya might have something for me," Don said hopefully.

The morgue was a place into which Flack often did not venture. He left that up to the CSIs. He usually just saw the autopsy reports as they crossed his desk with the case files. However, when his case now had the potential to hinge on an M.E.'s report, he had personally made the trek down.

"Detective, yes, I pulled those files you requested." Hammerback pulled off the latex gloves he had been wearing and removed his glasses, then walked over to his office and retrieved a small pile of autopsy reports. Returning to the middle of the room where Flack stood, he explained, "There was one that stood out for me. It's here on top."

"What do you remember?"

"It was an accidental drowning. Girl was four years old. I remember the mother. She was distraught, of course. That's not what struck me, though; what left a dent in my memory. It was the guilt she kept expressing. She kept saying how they had taken in this little girl to keep her safe but had failed by turning their backs for one split second during a party in their backyard," the M.E. explained.

"When did this happen?" Don asked, seeing a possible connection from everything Sid had described.

"Late August."

"The first murder in Jersey was around the beginning of October. It fits the timetable."

"The family had just moved here from Jersey City," Hammerback confirmed, handing all of the case files over to Flack, but tapping the one on top.

"I think you may have found the missing piece, Sid. If you did, beer's on me."

"The real stuff this time, right?"

"You got it. Thanks!" Don took the pile of case files and headed back up to the conference room. The entire ride up in the elevator and then across the lobby, he was browsing through the file. The pieces all seemed to fit. The timetable, the location…"I think this could be the break we were looking for!" he announced to the BAU as he walked into the room.


	114. Fruition

Don knew that no matter how many years he spent as a detective, it would never cease to amaze him how sometimes all it took was finding one piece of the puzzle before the rest all just fell into place. Of course, he would probably spend the rest of his career, if not his life, wondering if his failure to consider earlier that the death of the unsub's child could have occurred in New York as opposed to New Jersey would have changed anything. Regardless, as soon as he left the M.E.'s office with the file Sid had high-lighted in his hands, things had started happening.

Don and the BAU had quickly connected the report to one of the Jersey DCF files. Everything fit the profile and suddenly they had a suspect, or an unsub as the BAU called her. Her name was Jessie Long. Don then called his brother, and within two hours, Morgan, Prentiss and the younger Flack were at the last known address of Jessie Long. Not surprisingly, she was nowhere to be found.

While Will, Morgan and Prentiss went on to track down next-of-kin, her mother in Jersey City, a half-sister in Newark. Meanwhile, Hotchner and Reid landed on the doorstep of her former DCF case worker. In New York, Don, Rossi and the CSIs tried running the name through every known database to see if they could track her there in city. Piece after piece of the puzzle started coming together. The story unfolded as it had been laid out by the BAU's profile with very few holes. A woman who grew up in a broken home, impoverished in more ways than just financially. A troubled youth who then began to manifest symptoms of schizophrenia in her late teens. Failure on all sides to get her help. She wound up pregnant at nineteen by a man whose name she never knew. Alienated from her family and having no idea how or any inclination to access community resources, she had given up her baby girl. Six months later, she decided she wanted her baby back and went looking for her. She found her; however, the adoptive parents refused her requests for visits, especially when it became apparent that she was unstable. They were forced to file a restraining order, and then finally moved with the baby across the river, hoping to escape the harassing phone calls and visits which often came in the middle of the night. That had landed Jessie an arrest for violating the restraining order, at which point she had been ordered to receive psychiatric help. She managed to start getting her life together once she was put on medication. She got a job as a cashier and a place to live in a rooming house, and often checked in with DCF, hoping to hear something about her daughter's well-being. Then a few months ago, she had received the horrible news that her daughter had drowned accidentally in the pool in her backyard in New York City. That was the last anyone had heard from her.

Will faxed his brother a picture Jessie's mother had provided, and soon, the New York team and every available uniform was out canvassing the streets of Harlem and Hell's Kitchen, targeting the areas where the two NYC victims had been abducted and then murdered. Noelle and Lindsay both received the same phone call – their husbands would not be home tonight. They were getting close.

The first set-back came twelve hours after Don walked into the conference room announcing that they had caught the break in the case. The canvas in Hell's Kitchen had paid off. A nearby bodega owner had recognized Jessie as a frequent visitor in past weeks. The shopkeeper had then pointed them to an old tenement building awaiting demolition where it was known that squatters had taken up residence. He believed Jessie was among them. Soon, Rossi, Hotchner, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, Mac and Danny were vested up and waiting Don's go-ahead for a raid. It was three o'clock in the morning and the adrenaline was high. And fifteen minutes after it started, it ended in vain. Jessie was nowhere to be found. And as they shook off their frustration, the call came through. The news they had all been dreading for the past six days: frantic parents had just called in that their four year old daughter was missing. Her mother had awakened suddenly in the night, and hyper vigilant with everything that had been on TV as of late, she had gone in to check on her little girl, only to find her bed empty and the bedroom window open, the curtains billowing from the cold, December wind.

The team quickly dispersed. Don, along with Rossi, Hotchner and Mac, headed to the scene of the latest abduction. Danny and the rest of the BAU team returned to 1 Police Plaza. Messer went straight to the Lab, meeting up with Stella and Adam who he had pulled out of bed, hoping they could narrow down possible positions within the timeline they had. The rest of the BAU agents worked on getting the word out to all bus and train stations and the airports, J.J. putting together a press release for first light along with an amber alert. If Jessie was seen, they were going to make sure she was recognized.

As Don stood in the living room with two distraught parents, his stomach knotted. They had done everything right, and still their precious child was missing. How could this happen, they railed at the detectives. How could the police not have caught this woman yet? Don, too, wondered where they had gone wrong. Their only hope was that in all four of the previous cases, there had been at least twelve hours between the abduction and the TOD. Don prayed that, armed with the knowledge they had now, ten hours would be enough to make sure the murder count did not rise to five.

Things turned at 6:28am. A security guard patrolling a couple of recently purchased but still empty warehouses down by the harbour reported a B&E. That in itself would not have caused the hair to stand up on the back of the necks of those working the case. However, the report of a few fresh blood drops and little footprints walking through the blood did. And for the second time in four hours, they were all in vests. Often when the BAU was called in, they took over. However, they had shared this investigation equally with the NYPD and Will's department. Dealing with a city as large as New York City, they knew they needed the expertise of the local police and Don's leadership had never been called into question. So now they stood, waiting for his go-ahead once again.

However, they were still there to offer their expertise. "The COD in all of the other murders was asphyxiation due to strangulation," Hotch reminded them. "Unless Jessie has changed her M.O. – which is unlikely – the blood means that either she has been injured, or Cassie Langdon has been accidentally."

"Either way," David added, "her plan has been compromised. As unstable as she is, that lack of control, the deviation from the way everything was laid out in her mind, is probably panicking her. That makes this situation particularly volatile."

Don looked at the assembled team, friends like Danny and Mac who he had trusted to have his back for years, and new colleagues who he had come to quickly respect and revere over the past five days. "Everyone needs to be on guard. And no shots are to be fired in front of that little girl unless her life is in imminent danger. She's been traumatized enough," he finished. He fought the images of Katie that kept flashing through his mind. She was a year younger, but other than that, she fit the description of all of the victims. That chilled Don to the very core of his being.

Finally, all doors covered to the warehouse where the footprints led, they headed inside on Don's mark.

Reid and Danny found Cassie. Unharmed physically, but cowering behind a steel stairwell. There was blood on her clothes, but they were able to quickly determine that it was not her own. Word was sent through the ear pieces to the rest of the team that Jessie was the one who was injured. Danny swept the frightened little girl into his arms, assuring her that she was now safe and would get to go home to her parents who were missing her very much. And as he held the sobbing child, he prayed that Olivia, Matteo, and the baby he had on the way would never know the evil this beautiful girl had already encountered at the tender age of four.

Don, Rossi and Morgan were the ones who nearly stumbled upon Jessie, literally. She had slumped onto the ground, shaking, one hand holding her opposite tricep, covered in blood.

"It's over, Jessie," Don said, his gun still aimed and ready. He was not prepared or convinced for it to be this easy, still on guard. "You've got the right to—"

"They didn't deserve her!" she screamed, cutting into the reading of her Miranda rights.

Don looked to David and Derek for help, unsure if she was speaking of Cassie's parents or the family who had taken in her daughter.

"Who didn't, Jessie?" David asked.

"It's blood that counts. I gave that baby life. They did not understand that. They turned their backs! She did not belong to them so they did not protect her," she continued ranting.

"It was an accident," Morgan tried to gently convince her.

"An accident," she scoffed, shaking. "They turned their backs and let her fall into their pool! Long enough to die. An accident? Please! They failed! And those other parents? They don't deserve the title! They failed to protect their so-called little girls, too. I proved it! It's blood that matters. Don't you see that?"

Don stepped closer, seeing that see was unarmed. There was a deep cut in her arm – he never did find out how she had been injured in all of her rambling. He reached down and pulled her up to her feet, turning her around and grabbing his cuffs. "It's not blood that matters, Jessie," he said angrily. "And all you've managed to punish those four families for is loving their children. Jessie Long, you're under arrest for the murders of Lacey Prince and Jennie Ferreira. And I've got it on good authority that the Sheriff in Hudson County is gonna want to speak to you when we're through. You've got the right to remain silent. Anything you say…"

Hours later, Don emerged from Interrogation with a sigh, Rossi at his side. The public defender had arrived forty-five minutes earlier and argued that Jessie's rantings before her arrest did not constitute a confession. He had ordered her silent, but with the Lab now processing a DNA sample, all they needed was a match to the DNA they had found at the four scenes to tie everything together.

"Boom!" Danny announced with a satisfied grin, meeting up with Flack and Rossi outside Interrogation Two. He handed an evidence report to his best friend. "Preliminary DNA results. It's a match."

Don looked over the report.

"Good work, Detective," Rossi offered. "Congratulations."

Flack took a deep breath. "We got her. So, tell me why I don't feel vindicated."

Danny put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's severely screwed up and she murdered four kids, nearly a fifth. Don't let whatever she said to you in that warehouse take away from the fact that you took a killer off the streets today."

Don sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Jessie Long's going to spend the rest of her life in either a psychiatric facility or prison. Danny's right," concurred Rossi. "Look, Don, I've watched you this week and how you deal with your children. Nothing of Jessie's ranting should make you question what you've done for your children."

"I don't. It's never been a passing thought to me that they don't share my DNA. I guess – I guess it just frustrates me that Jessie couldn't see that where these families were concerned. That was her motive?"

"She's mentally disturbed, man. There's no logic there," Messer assured him. "So, revel in the fact that you and the BAU are gonna share this collar and you can once again bask in the glow of the adoration of this damned fickle city."

Flack chuckled. "At least J.J. can rest assured that you're no threat to her job, Mess. Don't go start writin' press releases, huh?"

Danny grinned. "Well, gentlemen, it's been a blast, but I haven't seen my wife and kids in a day. I'm outta here. You need to consider doin' the same, buddy."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be headin' out soon. Just got some loose ends to tie up. Give Lindsay and the twins a kiss for me."

"Keep your lips off my wife," Messer cracked. He extended his hand to David. "It was good workin' with ya, Rossi. Take it easy."

"Will do, Danny. Take care."

They watched Danny walk away, and then Don released a long exhalation, feeling the knots in his shoulders and back ease a little. "I know the locals don't always give you guys an easy time," he started. "But I appreciate what you and the team have done. Jessie Long would probably still be out there if Hotch had not agreed to bring you in."

"I'm not so sure. You're a good detective, Don. It's been a pleasure working with you."

They said their goodbyes, then Don headed to the Homicide Squad's bullpen to take care of what could not wait. He was going on thirty-six hours since he had been home and he really needed to see his family. And when he finally walked through his front door a couple hours later, he had never been so happy to be home.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Katie exclaimed excitedly, running out from the living room and wrapping her arms around his legs.

He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tightly until she finally giggled and complained that she couldn't breath. Don eased his hold only enough to allow him to look at her angelic face. "Do you have any idea how much Daddy loves you, cutie?"

Katie grinned. "I love you, too! You come pway with me?"

"Don't agree if she suggests you play Candyland," advised Tony as he joined them in the foyer. "She took me two outta three yesterday. But ya at least got a chance at Monopoly."

"That's because she can't count past fifteen," Don joked. He looked Tony over then. "How're ya doin', kid?"

"I'm okay. I'm goin' to see Alyssa tomorrow. Her dad says she's doing better," he replied.

Don nodded with a relieved smile. "That's good." Still holding onto Katie, he reached over and pulled Tony unexpectedly into a one-armed hug. "Just so there's no question, I'm real proud of you, son."

"That mean I'm not grounded anymore?" Tony asked hopefully.

Don chuckled. "Nice try, but there's no gettin' out of this one." He ruffled his son's hair and kissed Katie's cheek, then glanced around. "Where's your ma? We have some celebrating to do."

"She went to pick up pizza for supper."

"With pep'woni!" Katie advised her father as if it was the best news ever.

"With pepperoni? Well, then, I'd say that's a pretty good way to celebrate."

"You caught the serial killer, didn't you? That what we're celebrating?" Tony asked, his eyes wide with awe.

"We did, man. We caught her. It was a good day. But you know what made it even better? Gettin' to come home to you guys." He tickled Katie's tummy, his eyes lighting up as she giggled. He looked at both of his kids. "I want you both to remember that it doesn't matter what's going on at work, nothing will ever be more important to me than you two, okay?"

Tony quirked an eyebrow. "This what happens when you catch the bad guy? You get all mushy?"

Don smirked. "Somethin' like that. Now, why don't you go set the table, huh?" He looked at Katie. "And you, cutie, I bet you have hands that need washing."

"I wash 'em alweady," Katie insisted.

"Yeah? When?"

"S'after'oon."

"Uh-huh. Well, then they probably need to be washed again, don't you think?"

Katie was about to argue against the need to wash her hands anymore, when the front door opened and Noelle walked in, a smile on her face at having found her husband's SUV in the driveway after hearing the news on the radio about the arrest he had made.

"See, pizza's here. Definitely need clean hands to eat it, kiddo. Now go," Don said, setting his daughter down and shooing her towards the downstairs powder room. He then nodded at Tony to head into the kitchen to set the table.

Tony took the pizza from Noelle then made himself scarce, guessing that Flack wanted a moment alone with her.

"Congratulations, Detective Flack. You're New York's hero, you know that?" she said a little teasingly.

"Sure, for the next five minutes." He pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her languidly.

Breathless from the kiss, she reached up and touched his face. "Wow. Hello to you, too. And you know, you're Tony's and Katie's hero. They're not quite the city, but—"

"Did I ever say thank you?"

Noelle furrowed her eyebrows. "For what?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Because as cool as it is to get the collar, nothin' beats having someone to come home to at the end of the day. You have any idea how many of the BAU guys don't have that? And it's what really counts. And I don't just have you, but you gave me two beautiful kids."

"I might have had a hand in Katie, but _you're_ the one who brought Tony into our lives."

"You know what I'm saying. I hope you know I don't take you for granted. It might seem that way sometimes because I'm not here and I work ungodly hours, but I never forget how lucky I am."

"You keep talking like that and you're going to _get_ lucky before the night's out," she replied, her eyes full with promise. "And in all seriousness, Donnie, I've never once thought you've taken us for granted. If anything, you're the one that's had to put up with a hell of a lot lately."

He shrugged. "I may not like havin' to ground our son, and it hurts to have to lay beside you holding a hot water bottle against you when you're in pain, and maybe _Green Eggs and Ham_ loses a bit of its charm the six thousandth time through, but I'd rather have all of that than ever be reminded what's it like not to have any of it."

"I wash my hands," Katie announced, interrupting her parents as she returned, her hands behind her back.

Don winked at his wife and turned his gaze to his little girl. "Yeah? Did you turn the water on?"

She nodded.

"You really did?"

She nodded again, this time a little slower.

"That's funny, 'cause I didn't hear it. And unless your brother brought it down, the step stool is still up in your bathroom upstairs so you wouldn't have been able to reach the tap anyway," Don pointed out.

Noelle laughed softly at both the expression on her daughter's face at having been caught, and the lesson she had just learned. "At least she's learning from an early age just what it's like to live with the city's best detective."

"You know, from what you said earlier, said city would think that's a good thing," Flack argued.

"All right, then, Detective Golden Boy, let's go celebrate your victory before your five minutes are up and reflected glory of your adoring fans fades."

Following his wife and daughter into the kitchen, Don shook his head. "You been talkin' to Messer?"

**

* * *

**

A/N

So, one of the pitfalls in having a chronic illness is that sleep is often elusive. I wrote this entire chapter in three hours because I was wide awake when I should have been sound asleep. If it sucks, we'll blame that fact. If you like it, then **finally**, score one for sleepless nights!

On another note, I really want to thank all of you devoted readers who have stuck by this story from the beginning to its now epic stages. I really enjoy getting your feedback. Although I have to confess that this is such a great outlet for me that I would probably be writing Don and Noelle's story even if nobody was reading it anymore (though if it gets to that, someone, please, put me out of my misery LOL). Having said that, there is definitely more story to come, so I do hope you hang around for the ride! This may seem like an ending, but it's not. The BAU will in fact make an appearance in the next chapter to say goodbye – not to mention that the Flacks' first Christmas as a family is approaching, Don and Noelle's first anniversary is coming up, Noli's surgery is pending, her novel has yet to be published, other dramatic and unexpected turns lie ahead…Is that enough to keep you all coming back? xoxoxo mustlovecat


	115. Fond Farewells

**A/N** The BAU is back in this chapter to say farewell. I wanted to give them an official send-off, but also keep the door open for future appearances. We will definitely be seeing them here and there in the future, most likely not in an official capacity, just because I can and because I have such mad love for them!

And yes, you lucky readers are being spoiled with two posts in two days. Of course, _I'm_ nearing delirium (you would think Ativan _and_ Percocet would knock someone out)! Hopefully it doesn't show through! Enjoy. xoxoxo mustlovecat

* * *

"You sure you're up for this?" Don asked his wife once he had parked their SUV in the underground garage at 1 Police Plaza.

"I've had a good couple days. But even if I hadn't, do you honestly think I'd pass up the chance to meet David Rossi?" Noelle replied a little incredulously.

Don rolled his eyes slightly. "Do I gotta worry about this apparent crush you've got on him?"

She quirked an eyebrow, looking over into his clear, blue eyes. "Remember last night? You really think you have anything to worry about?" She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the seat towards him. "Seriously, honey. Do you need a reminder? Something to tide you over until we get home?"

"Definitely couldn't hurt," he replied with a flash of his dimples. He easily drew her into his arms and kissed her slowly, his hands moving through her thick, wavy hair as he felt hers slide up his chest.

The couple's make out session quickly grew quite steamy and they soon became oblivious to the fact that they were completely visible, not just to anyone walking by but to the surveillance cameras scattered throughout the parking structure. That would explain why both were startled when there was a pounding on the driver's side window, followed by a voice bellowing, "Get a room, Flack!"

Don shook his head. He flashed his wife an apologetic look, then opened the door and shot a playful scowl towards Scagnetti as he stepped out of the car. "You got nothin' better to do than to live vicariously through me and my gorgeous wife?" he fired back jokingly.

Scagnetti chuckled. "Not when mine's taken the kids to the Poconos to visit the in-laws for the weekend. How're ya doin', Noelle?" he asked as she stepped out of the car and shut the passenger door, looking flustered.

"Hi, John," she greeted with an embarrassed smile.

"You two headed over to Sullivan's?"

Don nodded. "You just comin' on?"

"Yeah. Gotta love nights. Good work on the serial case, by the way. And you know what this means, right?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna have the entire Squad bustin' my balls for the foreseeable future."

"Ya got that right!" Scagnetti laughed. "Have a good night. Good to see you, Noelle."

She nodded and waved as her husband's fellow homicide detective walked off towards the elevators, then she flashed Don a glare.

"Hey, it was _your_ idea," he reminded her with an innocent and amused grin. "I believe you were the one offering a free preview of later on. Good call sending the kids to Ma and Pop's for the night, by the way."

"Is it going to be all over the Squad Room that we were down here making out?"

"Probably. And I'm sure by the time I'm back on the clock Monday the legend will have grown to us having some kind of kinky sex in the back seat or maybe even right there on the hood. Probably somehow involving my cuffs. You okay with that?" he teased her, loving that fact that even a year into their marriage, he could still make her blush wildly. He walked around the car and took her hand. "C'mon, I'll buy ya a Torpedo soon as we get in the door."

Sullivan's was loud and busy as off-duty NYPD personnel packed the place from wall-to-wall, not surprising for a Saturday night. Every table and booth was filled, all the pool tables and dart boards occupied. Don furrowed his brow, not spotting anyone from the group they were meeting. He pushed through the crowd, keeping a tight hold on his wife's hand so they did not get separated, working his way over to the bar. He caught Frankie's eye and just nodded, tilting his head toward Noelle as well so the bartender knew to serve up the usual for the both of them.

"Drinks are on the house for you tonight, man! And I opened up the back room for you guys. Everyone's already waiting for ya," Frankie yelled over the crowd as he set a pint of Guinness and Noelle's cranked up Screwdriver down on the bar.

"You're a good man, Frankie!" Don called back.

The barkeep smiled and headed off to serve another customer.

Don handed his wife's drink to her, grabbed his own pint, and then led her through the rest of the pub to the room in the back that was typically closed off to patrons. He pushed open the door to discover they were the last to arrive. Around a large round table sat the entire BAU team, Mac and Stella, Danny and Lindsay, Will and his wife Allison, and Hawkes. There were two or three conversations going on, pitchers of beer and other drinks scattered along the table amongst plates of nachos, onion rings and chicken wings. The mood was definitely a lot more jovial than the last time Don, Danny and Sheldon had gathered with members of the BAU in the bar.

"Hey, look who finally decided to show up!" Danny announced, his voice booming over those gathered as he spotted Don and Noelle.

Noli felt her face flush a little. Traffic had held them up a little getting into the city from Queen's Village, but they would have arrived closer to the agreed upon time had Don not managed to make her lose all ability for conscious thought back in the car. Damn that man and the things he could do to her, and the promise of more to come later when they got home making her nerve endings all tingle.

A new round of introductions were made, then Don pulled out the empty chair for his wife beside Rossi, Noelle almost a little star struck at finally getting to meet David. Flack then took the seat between his wife and Lindsay.

"I'm glad you guys could stay an extra day and we had a chance to do this," Don addressed the members of the BAU.

"And since the key players are now all here, I propose a toast," said Mac. "First, to the BAU. The NYPD is grateful for your assistance on this case. With your help, we were able to put a killer behind bars without the body count rising, and that's all we can ever hope for. Second, to Will. It's obvious that when _any_ Flack is involved, they're going to get their man, or woman as the case may be. Hudson County's is good hands. And, of course, to Don. Your leadership in this case has only proven that Chief Bowery had better watch his back. We expect you to be running the NYPD one day."

"Bite your tongue, Mac!" Don shot back with a laugh, both men knowing full well that Flack had no desire to be Chief of Detectives one day, let alone Chief of Department. No, as far as he was concerned, while he might move up in title once or twice more, he would still be a homicide detective when he received his gold watch.

A rousing chorus of "Here, Here!" and "Cheers!" and "Salut!" followed, everyone taking a sip of their drinks.

Soon, the conversations picked up again. However, Prentiss was sitting on the other side of Rossi and could not help but bring up Noelle's novel, now that she had the chance to meet Don's wife.

"I have to say, Noelle, that I'm a huge fan of your work," Emily explained. "I was thrilled when Don said you were writing a novel. When do you expect it will be published?"

Noelle's face coloured a little at the praise, something she was not used to outside of Don – and he knew he would be rewarded with sexual favours so that didn't really count, she mused. "Um, if all goes as scheduled, it should be out in the early fall. And so far, everything looks to be on target."

"It's going to fly off the shelves," Lindsay piped up excitedly after taking a sip from her glass of ginger ale, her free hand absent-mindedly running over her growing stomach. Noli had been true to her word and had emailed over the hundred and thirty pages that were already complete. With Danny failing to come home that night as they sought Jessie Long, she had taken advantage and stayed up to read every word, unable to stop. Now she was waiting impatiently for the next installment, hoping her best friend would continue to let her preview the chapters.

"Good, I can retire and live the life to which I'd like to grow accustomed," Don cut in jokingly.

"You could have all the money in the world and you would still be pulling doubles and triples working to rid this city of the bad guys, baby," Noelle retorted. "NYPD blue refers to the blood coursing through your veins. And with each passing day, I think you're right about seeing our son head in the same direction."

Overhearing the remark, Mac piped up. "Homicide would be lucky to have Tony. But CSU is staking a claim right now on Katie. I want her working for me."

"I think she would be an asset to the FBI, actually," Reid suggested with a smile, still taken by how intelligent and calm she had been the day she wandered off on her own through headquarters. "She certainly is inquisitive and very observant."

"My baby girl ain't moving to D.C.," Don scoffed, the thought of his daughter ever growing up and leaving the nest more than he could even contemplate.

"She's not going to bo your baby girl forever," Noelle gently pointed out.

He just shook his head, eliciting laughs from the crowd, except from Danny who shared the same denial where Olivia was concerned. He had never said it aloud to Lindsay, but Messer was hoping this new baby was going to be a boy. Worrying about one little girl, no matter how much she had him wrapped around her little finger, was more than enough.

"How is Tony doing?" Derek asked then.

"He's, uh – He's good," Don replied, shaking his head with a smile at the awe he still felt for his son. "Of course, he was better once he got to visit Alyssa this morning."

"Yes, and her father told me as we were leaving that Tony actually managed to convince her to go the appointment he'd set up with the rape counselor. So hopefully she'll get the help that she needs," Noelle added.

"All right, all right. I'm all for Antonio becoming NYPD one day, but that's only after his career with the Mets plays itself out, a'ight?" Danny cut in.

"You mean because they need all the help they can get, Mess?" his best friend countered.

"I'm sorry, did the Yankees even make it into the pennant race this year there, Flack?"

"Hey, I believe in karma. Which means he'll be playing for the Blue Jays the way he continues to cut into them just to give me a hard time," Noelle laughed.

The hours passed. The configuration at the table changed continually and often. At the last of the group assembled as a whole, J.J., Emily, Noelle, Allison, Stella and Lindsay were gathered around together talking about the impending birth of Danny and Lindsay's baby, and then _Moda Bella_, and finally Noelle's book. Meanwhile, the guys covered the gamut of topics from sports to their varied careers in police work to relationships.

Hawkes and Agent Jarreau were the first to leave, just after eleven, J.J. wanting to get back to the hotel and call her husband and son before it got any later, and Hawkes citing an early shift in the morning. Shortly after, Mac and Stella and Will and Allison took off. Then Danny saw his wife stifle a yawn and he insisted on getting her home, as well. As twelve-fifteen rolled around, Don and Noelle remained along with Prentiss, Morgan, Reid, Hotch and Rossi.

"David, I have to confess, I'm a big admirer," Noelle finally worked up the nerve to say. "I read your book when I was in college, and it was one of the things that inspired me to major in journalism."

"That's very kind. And you know, after Don mentioned you were a writer, I had Emily get me a sample of your work and I was very impressed. I wrote my book as a profiler. But you're a _real_ writer, Noelle. I'll be anxious to read your novel once it's complete," he replied.

Noelle felt Don squeeze her hand under the table, knowing how much the compliment meant to her.

"Listen, Don, I hope you know that should you ever want to consult on a case, we'll be happy to help, even unofficially," Aaron assured the homicide detective. "It's been great working alongside you and the NYPD."

"I hope I'll never have to take you up on that, but I appreciate the offer nonetheless. And David, Noli and I will never be able to thank you for your offer to help Tony. It went above and beyond and – Well, we appreciate it."

Rossi shrugged modestly. "I'm glad I was able to help. And I'm even happier to hear that things have worked out."

"Linds hasn't really gleaned anything more from the case in Connecticut, but at least we closed the rape case here. I think the Montgomerys might actually be okay."

They continued chatting for close to another hour, Noelle getting to know Spencer a little as both of them laughed over Katie's exploits at the Crime Lab, until they finally gathered outside on the sidewalk to say their goodbyes.

Emily hugged Noelle and the two exchanged email addresses. Prentiss demanded updates on the progress of Noli's novel and promised to continue to read her work in _Moda_ _Bella_.

Don shook hands with each member of the BAU's team. He had hit it off with all of them and was almost sorry to see them leave. However, he had a feeling they would be in touch, even outside of the professional arena. Finally, he took his wife's hand and led her back to their car and the two were soon headed back to their empty house.

"How're ya feelin', doll?" Don asked on the ride home.

"I'm okay. A little tired, but I'm glad you took me along tonight. I really liked Emily and J.J. And I was so _not_ disappointed with David Rossi. He's such a brilliant man. You realize he's probably the top profiler in the country if not the world."

"_Now _should I be worried?" he kidded.

Noelle laughed softly. She reached over and laid a hand on her husband's thigh. "He's nearly as old as a my father."

"Some women get off on that. I've seen it all, babe."

"I have to say, this jealousy thing you've got going on here? It's very arousing."

"I'm not jealous," he scoffed. "Although, I'm pretty sure I saw Morgan checkin' you out."

"Oh, I didn't realize Morgan was on the table here. I thought we were just talking about Rossi," she said as seriously as she could muster just to see the look that crossed her husband's face. She was no disappointed. "Derek Morgan is one hot –"

"Please don't finish that sentence, Nol. I really don't need to hear that."

She grinned. She squeezed his thigh, taking satisfaction in the slight low groan she elicited from him. "Come on, Donnie. I get to go to bed every night with the sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on. So, you will _never_ have anything to worry about."

"Just so ya know, it works both ways."

"Good. But don't think I'd hesitate to kick the ass of any badge bunny that thinks she can make a move anyway."

"I'd pay to see that," he chuckled.

"Oh, God. You men and your fantasies."

"Fantasies? Baby, the only star of my fantasies is you and you alone. If you're up to it, I'll be happy to demonstrate once we get home." He quickly glanced over to her with a wink and an expression full of promise.

Noelle leaned back against her seat, feeling her heart race a little.

"What time's Pop bringin' the kids back tomorrow?" Don asked a short while later as they walked through the front door of their house.

"Not 'til after lunch. They're taking the kids to mass, then Jump said something about ice skating."

"So, we can stay up for another couple hours and still get a decent amount of sleep before the apparent future of the NYPD is underfoot."

Noelle quirked her eyebrow. "How did you plan on spending the next couple of hours?"

"There any champagne down in the cold cellar?" he asked as he helped his wife off with her coat, his fingers brushing against her collarbone.

"Yes, but you don't have to go downstairs. There's already a bottle in the fridge."

"Planning ahead, were ya, Mrs. Flack?"

"I thought we might want to take advantage of having the house to ourselves to celebrate everything that's happened this week. So, why don't you go get the bottle and I'll get some glasses from the hutch in the –"

"We don't need glasses, baby. Far as I'm concerned, there's only one way to drink champagne when you're around."

"Last time we did body shots, I somehow managed to be sticky for a week no matter how many showers I took," she complained.

"Well, then I'll just have to take it upon myself to help you out with that this time."

The look in her husband's eyes made Noelle lose all desire to argue any further, especially since now all she could think about was his tongue licking her favourite beverage off her most intimate spots. She shivered. "I, uh – I'll go slip out of these clothes. You want to open the bottle?"

When Don walked into their bedroom a few minutes later, he found his wife sprawled naked and provocatively in the middle of the bed. He just about let the bottle slip from his hands. "Jesus. Wow. Yeah, so – Uh, you sure you're up to this, doll? 'Cause I think I'm about to lose all sense of self-restraint here."

"Don't even think about restraining yourself, Detective. Unless you were gonna break out your handcuffs."

It was official. He had died and gone to heaven. That was the only possible explanation. Two nights in a row with his wife and tonight she was clearly in a playful mood. Yep, he was in heaven.

He walked over and set the bottle on the bedside table, then his long-sleeved t-shirt, jeans and socks were flying off in every possible direction.

By this time, Noelle had taken to kneeling up at the side of the bed in front or her husband's long and lean form. She kissed her way up his chest, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him languidly. "Make love to me," she murmured when they came up for air.

"You don't gotta ask me –"

The ringing of the telephone startled both of them. It was after two in the morning. Don wasn't on call, and with the kids away, of course, both of their minds went to the worst case scenario. Suddenly they were both grabbing for the phone with worry. However as Noelle reached the handset first, her concern morphed to happiness as she looked at the call display. "It's Danny's cell! Oh, my God!"

"No way…"

Noelle brought the phone to his ear. "She just couldn't wait, could she?" she laughed without any preamble.

Danny chuckled. "Her water broke on the way home. The contractions are already about five minutes apart," he explained.

"We're on our way. You're at Woodhull?"

"Yeah, and we ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon."

"All right. Give Linds a kiss for me. See ya soon. And Danny, chill, okay?"

"I'm a block of ice, Hansen," Danny assured her.

"Sure ya are," she laughed. "We'll be there soon. We love you." Noelle hung up the phone and looked at her husband with a smile. "Baby Messer's just as impatient as the rest of 'em. Lindsay's contractions are five minutes apart."

"How much time we got then?"

"_We_?"

"You're naked. I'm not goin' anywhere until I've gotten to enjoy that fact," Flack replied matter-of-factly.

Noelle grinned. "Well, I'd kind of been hoping for slow and drawn-out, but I'm a very lucky woman because you are equally as talented when it comes to quick and intense. So, I'm all yours."

He flashed his dimples. "That's what I love about ya, sweetheart. You're flexible."

"In more ways than one. Now, shut up and take me so we can get to the hospital before we miss the momentous, earth-shattering event."

"Doll, there's gonna be a hell of a lot more than just _one_ of those tonight. That's a promise."


	116. Baby Messer

**A/N **A triple play! Three chapters, three days! The muse even has yet another chapter in the works. However, even though I stayed home from work today, tomorrow will be busy and I have a specialist's appointment Wednesday (please cross your fingers for me!!), so it will probably be later in the week before I post another update.

In the meantime, be warned that things are about to get fluffy. But I think the Flacks deserve some fluff after everything they have been through. Don't you? Oh, and the plot bunnies are feeling just a little bit naughty today. Enjoy! xoxoxo mustlovecat

* * *

"We shouldn't be doing this…" Noelle insisted rather unconvincingly between kisses as she and Don made out in the empty hospital waiting room.

"It's all good, babe. So far we haven't even committed any misdemeanours," he assured her jokingly, his lips trailing down her neck and finding the sensitive spot behind her left ear.

She sighed and leaned into his touch. Her hands slid up his chest and up through his hair, bringing his mouth back to hers. She kissed him deeply for a few more minutes, before finally pulling away again. "Donnie…Someone could walk in at any moment and…"

"We're just kissing." He brushed his lips over her forehead. "Besides, it's six in the morning." He nipped at her lower lip. "There's no one here." He kissed along her jaw. "Never seen a maternity ward so dead, come to think of it."

"You come here often, do you?" she teased breathlessly.

"I've been around, ya know, for a few births. We got enough nieces, nephews, god kids and the like between us to start our own baseball league." He sucked on the tender skin at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. "Now, Mrs. Flack, unless ya got a better way to pass the time…" he started. When she failed to provide any argument, he moved in to capture her lips again.

Noelle responded as he took to kissing her languidly, his hands now moving through her hair. Kissing Don was definitely in the top five of her favourite pastimes. She remembered hearing once somewhere that kissing was the most intimate act there was. While sex could be stripped down to a mere physical act at its basest, a means of gratification and release, kissing was truly intimate and sensual. Her husband definitely proved the theory. Even one of his quick pecks on the lips could make her little toe tingle because she knew that even if just that one brief moment, she was the only thing on his mind. That is not to say that she did not also love making love with him – because boy, did she love making love with him! And while she might not have any point of reference, she was pretty sure his talent as a lover surpassed most men.

"Donnie…"

"Yeah, babe?"

She pulled back a bit, hesitating for a moment.

Don brushed her slightly tousled hair off her face and looked at her expectantly.

"You'd tell me – I mean, I know sometimes that it's still painfully obvious that I was a virgin before you. I guess I just worry sometimes that my inexperience – You don't ever get bored, do you?" she rambled a little nervously.

His expression was incredulous. The thought that he could ever get bored when it came to sex with his wife was something that never would have occurred to him in a million years. "Baby…" He kissed her gently. "First off, it's never bothered me that you were a virgin. Frankly, it's a huge turn on knowing no other guy's ever touched you the way I get to. Secondly, you're the sexiest woman I've ever known. I get aroused just thinkin' 'bout you. So, no, I never get bored. And I never will. And this so-called inexperience you're referring to? Maybe I've showed you some, uh – " He cleared his throat. "You know, mechanics. But you've taught me a hell of a lot more."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nol, c'mon, we've never just had sex. I think it's probably safe to say that you're the only woman I've ever made love with. And I want you to know that when you're feelin' bad and sex isn't an option…" He lowered his voice. "It isn't the gettin' off that I miss. It's just bein' close."

She smiled a little shyly. "Donnie. You know, I hope our daughter ends up in the arms of a man as wonderful as you one day."

Don scowled. "Can we not think about any guy getting close enough to our little girl to, you know, touch her? 'Cause I can't deal with that."

Noelle stroked his face tenderly. "She's going to grow up, Donnie. Don't you want her to be as happy as we are?"

"Yes," he agreed grudgingly. "'Course. Just – You know if any guy ever hurts her, I won't hesitate to shoot him."

"Should I open an account now so we can start putting money away for bail then?" she teased him.

"Funny, Hansen. You're a real comedienne."

She moved closer, sliding her arms around his neck. "I love how protective you are. But you know what else I love? When you do that thing with your tongue…"

He smirked then. "Yeah? C'mere then…" He drew her close and kissed her soundly.

They were so wrapped up in each other that they were both startled a few minutes later when they heard the sound of someone clearing his throat. They quickly jumped apart.

"Uh, yeah, sorry to interrupt, but I thought you'd like to meet my new baby girl. But we can come back…"

Eyes wide, Noelle jumped out of her chair and rushed over to Danny, looking down at the tiny, pink bundle in his arms. "Oh, my God. She's – Oh, Danny, she's so beautiful!"

Don joined his wife, taking in the gorgeous new life in his best friend's arms. "Ya did good, Mess. Wow. Look at her."

"What's her name?" Noelle asked excitedly, taking the baby from the proud father when he offered her.

"Luciana Grace. We'll probably end up calling her Lucy most of the time. The kids will hopefully be able to say that without screwing it up too bad," Danny explained, unable to wipe the broad smile from his face.

"Oh, that's a beautiful name, Danny. And it suits her. Hi there, Luciana. You are so precious, sweetheart, aren't you?" She looked back up at her friend. "How's Lindsay? I thought you said it was going to be at least another couple hours."

"Yeah, well, this little one didn't want to wait. A couple pushes and she was out. Lindsay's good. She's, uh – She's amazing, actually. The woman never fails to knock me out. Why don't you come in and see her before the cavalry arrives?" he suggested.

"Your folks on their way?" Don asked.

"Yeah, yeah, they're coming now with Matteo and Olivia. And I left a message for Louie, and texted Mac and Hawkes. Linds is just talkin' to her parents now. But c'mon. She wants to see ya."

Noelle handed the baby back to her father, then took Don's hand and followed Danny down the hall to Lindsay's room. Danny ushered them in just as his wife was hanging up the phone with her mom and dad. With the baby coming early and the labour progressing as quickly as it had, they had decided to not even call anyone until they had actual news to share. Don and Noelle had been the exception, something the best girlfriends had agreed upon weeks ago.

"Hey, superstar," Noli greeted her best friend, walking over and giving her a gentle hug. "That's one beautiful baby."

Lindsay smiled broadly. She looked tired yet euphoric. "Thank you. We think so. Danny tell you her name?"

"It's a good name, Linds. Means 'light'?" Don commented.

"You do way too many crossword puzzles, man," Danny teased his best friend, before looking back down at the precious baby girl in his arms. He was still in awe of her, though he was a little less freaked out than he had been the day the twins were born. "But yeah. Luciana means 'light', or 'illumination.' Fitting for the kid of a couple CSI's, huh?"

Noelle nodded, turning back to Lindsay. "You look beautiful. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Everything happened very quickly so I certainly can't complain. Are _you_ all right, though? You're all flushed," Linds observed.

Danny smirked. "Yeah, that's 'cause I caught them makin' out like a couple of horny teenagers in the waiting room."

Noelle coloured even more.

Don just shrugged. "What? It's not like there was a lot of other stuff to do out there."

Noli's head shot up and she fired a glare at her husband.

"Relax, babe. These two say anything and I'll be more an' happy to tell everyone in the department just exactly where little Lucy here was conceived."

At that Noelle's eyebrow quirked as she turned back to her best friend and saw _her_ face now reddening.

"You told him?" Lindsay asked her husband incredulously.

Keeping hold of his new daughter in one arm, Danny's free hand went up to rub the back of his neck "I, uh – It, um – You know, it mighta slipped out once when we were talkin' 'bout her bein' such a surprise."

Lindsay looked mortified.

Noelle sat down in the chair beside her bed. "Well, this I gotta hear. And you know you might as well tell me, Linds. I'll just get it out of Donnie later anyway," she urged her best friend on.

"The locker room showers," Lindsay confessed quietly.

"Wow! There's a story you can't really share with the grandkids," Noli teased her.

Linds broke out laughing at that.

"All right, all right. This is more than my innocent little baby girl needs to hear," Danny cut in. "Isn't it, my beautiful Luciana? You are gorgeous, aren't ya? Just like your mama. And wait 'til ya meet your big brother and your big sister."

"Do the twins know yet?" Don asked.

Danny shook his head. "Nah. I told Pop not to tell 'em. He might not've got Matteo in the car otherwise," he added with some concern.

Noelle looked at her two friends sympathetically. "He'll come around. Mark tried to sell me once to my mother's best friend before he decided I wasn't that bad to have around. So, tell us, did you know it was a girl?"

Lindsay laughed softly. "No. We were honest when we said we weren't gonna find out. I had a feeling, though. So did Danny – but he was convinced it was a boy. Especially the past few weeks."

Don flashed a smirk towards his best friend. "Ya haven't figured it out, yet, man? It's some kinda curse, or karma. We're apparently condemned to a life of keeping the guys we were way back when away from our little girls. Though I kinda like your idea. Do convents have group discounts?"

The women both rolled their eyes at their husbands' collective denial.

Don happily took the baby when Danny offered him the chance to hold her. He cooed at the innocent, baby girl in his arms. "So, vital stats of this perfect angel? I can tell she's on the small side."

"Five pounds eleven ounces. Eighteen inches long," Lindsay replied. "She's four weeks early so it's not surprising that she's tiny. But they said she's perfectly healthy. Aced the Apgar."

"That's my girl. Ten fingers, ten toes and a little button nose, just like her ma," Danny added.

"And her daddy's bright, blue eyes. For now, anyway."

"Matteo's never changed. Maybe Lucy's won't either," Noli pointed out. She glanced over at her husband cradling the baby so easily and felt a slight pang.

Lindsay reached over and took her best friend's hand and gave it a squeeze, knowing her well enough to know what was going through her mind.

Carmine and Angelina arrived moments later with Matteo and Olivia in tow, the eyes of both twins growing as big as saucers when they saw their mommy and daddy and the little, tiny baby in Uncle Don's arms.

Danny crouched down and held out his arms, offering both of his nineteen month old children hugs, before he scooped one up in each arm. "Matt, Liv, this is your little baby sister, Luciana. You wanna say hi?"

Olivia grinned broadly, a smile that was completely Lindsay's. "Pwetty!" she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Matteo scowled, then buried his face in the crook of his father's neck. "No," he pouted.

"C'mon, Matt, isn't she pretty? And she's so small, so she's gonna need you to protect her and take care of her. Trust me, she's gonna think you're the coolest big brother in the world," Danny tried to soothe his son.

When the little boy did not seem convinced, Lindsay held out her arms. "Here, baby, come see Mommy," she beckoned.

Danny walked over and set Matteo down on the edge of the bed. The little boy quickly crawled up beside his mother and cuddled into her side as she put her arm around him and kissed the top of his dark blonde head. He was Danny through and through.

While Carmine and Angelina fawned over their new granddaughter, Olivia reaching out and touching her as her father moved her closer, Lindsay instead lavished her son with her attention, offering reassuring words and hugs and kisses. She had not really thought he understood about the baby while she had been pregnant and had been hoping that once the little one arrived, he would instantly fall in love. She realized, instead, they were going to have their work cut out for them.

"Hey, little man, c'mere for a sec," said Don as he walked over to the edge of the bed and leaned down so he was eye-to-eye with the toddler. "How 'bout some day this week you come hang out with Tony and me? I make a mean snowman. Or we'll go to the rink. That sound like fun?"

Matteo nodded.

Lindsay caught her friend's eye and mouthed _thank you_.

Don reached down and ruffled Matt's hair, then looked at his wife. "We should probably go, huh? Let the new family get acquainted and get you some sleep?"

Noelle did not argue. There were hugs and kisses all around, then she accepted her husband's outstretched hand and they departed the happy scene.

Don called his parents once they returned home and asked if they could keep the kids until dinner time, explaining that he and Noelle had yet to get any sleep and announcing the arrival of the Messer's new addition. Jump and Maggie were more than happy to keep their grandchildren for a few extra hours, and the young couple headed up to bed to catch some much needed shut-eye.

"You've been awfully quiet since we left the hospital," Don commented as Noelle slid into bed next to him after emerging from the en suite.

"Just tired. And just…awed. I mean, nine hours ago, we were laughing at Sullivan's with Dan and Linds and I was feeling the baby kick in her stomach, and now there's – Now there's Luciana! A perfect little baby girl. It's just awesome."

"Yeah. You know what's not so awesome? Feedings every couple hours, changing diapers all the time, colic, stuff we don't have to worry about anymore."

"Katie's barely out of diapers. Don't jinx it."

"You know what I'm sayin'. And I know what you've been thinkin'. I could see it all over your face at the hospital. And I ain't sorry we never got to share what Dan and Linds did back there. Nol, ya gotta stop feeling guilty about things you can't change, that aren't your fault. Just because the endo's back doesn't mean that you screwed something up. So, please stop wreckin' yourself over this, all right?"

"I'm not."

He quirked an eyebrow.

She sighed. "Fine. Most of the time I'm not."

He flashed his dimples as he drew her into his arms. "Noli, listen to me. I'm perfectly happy with our life. Things happen for a reason, and you believe that as much as I do. So believe this is where we're supposed to be. Katie and Tony both needed a family, and we were in a position to give them an amazing home. If things were different, what coulda happened to them, huh?"

She nodded. She leaned over and kissed him gently, then curled up against his side, resting her head on his shoulder, her fingers sliding through the smattering of hair on his chest before wrapping themselves around the silver chain around his neck. "I'm sorry. You must get tired of having to constantly reassure me."

"Doesn't matter. I'll keep tellin' ya this as long as you need to hear it. Babe, I know how hard this is, all right? But I'm along for the ride right there with you. You'll never be in any of this alone."

"I know. And it works both ways, Donnie. No matter what, we're always going to be a team, aren't we?"

"Better believe it. And anyone who ever tries to come after Team Flack better watch themselves." Don captured her mouth with a kiss full of promise.

"Hmm. Why don't you set the alarm and give us a couple hours before the kids come home?"

"I can't argue with your kind of logic there, babe. Though I gotta admit, you're lookin' down-right sexy right now. I think I'll stop complaining about you stealing my clothes," he sighed, running his hands over her curves hidden beneath the t-shirt of his she had pulled on before climbing into bed.

"I promise to try and look just as sexy in six or seven hours." She leaned up and kissed him, then laid her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes.

"What'd I tell ya earlier, doll? Far as I'm concerned, you don't even gotta try."


	117. Friends and Neighbours

"Santa come now?" Katie asked hopefully as she walked into the living room where Tony was reading the first act of _Macbeth_.

"You remember when you opened your Advent calendar earlier?" Tony replied.

Katie nodded with a grin.

"What was the number on the door?"

She furrowed her brow as she tried to recall.

Tony rolled his eyes a little. "Nineteen, Katie-bear. That means six more sleeps." He got that the kid was excited about Christmas. Honestly, he was almost as excited since it was his first Christmas with the Flacks and they seemed to be making a pretty big deal about it. However, he and Don and Noelle had been having the same conversation with the little girl every day for the past week and it was apparently not sinking in that Santa still had a few days of preparation left.

"Maybe he come tonight 'stead? Wit' Wudoph?" she suggested.

"You mean Rudolph. And it doesn't work that way, squirt. He comes after you go to sleep on Christmas Eve. And _only_ after you go to sleep."

She sighed dramatically. "_Why_?"

"It's just the way it is. Been that way for centuries."

"What a cen'ry?"

"A hundred years."

Her eyes widened.

"Yep, a long time, kiddo. So, I don't think it's gonna change this year. Santa will come in six more days. So ya gotta be good 'til then, all right?"

She nodded vehemently, intent on being the best little girl in the world until Santa brought the presents she had asked for.

"Hey, Antonio, it's time to go," Don said, appearing in the doorway to the living room with his ski jacket in hand.

"I go, too, Daddy?" Katie pleaded, running over and looking up at her dad excitedly while her brother headed out into the foyer to get his coat and boots on.

"Nah, not today, cutie. I'll take ya skating tomorrow if ya want, okay? But this afternoon is just for boys."

Katie scowled. "But I wan' come."

Don crouched down in front of his little girl. "Sweetheart, we've talked about this. Unfortunately, you don't always get to do what you want to do, okay? Now what did your brother say about being good?"

"We go skate 'morrow?" she asked softly, her expression a little sheepish after her father's admonishment.

"Yes. I promise I'll take ya over to the rink tomorrow. Now, _today_, I bet you're gonna have lots of fun with Aunt Lindsay, Olivia, and the new baby. Aren't you excited to meet little baby Lucy? She's really, really small, just like your baby dolls. Even smaller than Riley was when he was born!"

"Bu' Aunt Jennie say Wiley too little to play wit'."

"That's true, and so is Luciana. But she's still very, very cute. And you always have fun playing with Olivia, don't you?"

"But I wan' be with _you_, Daddy."

Don just about melted at his little girl's profession. "C'mere, sweetie." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then looked at her seriously. "Daddy really loves spending time with you, too. But sometimes, we guys like to hang out without any girls around. Just like how you and Mommy want to spend time together just the two of you sometimes. Do you understand that?"

Katie nodded slowly.

"All right. We'll be back in a few hours with Uncle Danny and Matteo. You be a good girl for your ma."

"I good, I pwomise."

He laughed softly. Now that she was starting to grasp the concept of Santa Claus, he was wishing he could hold the jolly guy over his daughter all year around.

Don and Tony got bundled up and threw their skates into Flack's hockey bag, then they headed out into the cold December afternoon. They walked in silence the few blocks to the large skating rink behind the local YMCA.

As they sat on a bench a short while later tying up their skates, Don looked over at his on, "Listen, Tony, I appreciate you going along with this."

The fifteen year old shrugged. "Considering I'm grounded, it was better than sitting around home reading _Macbeth _all afternoon."

Don chuckled. "Well, Matteo's really not very happy about the new baby, so hopefully a boys' afternoon on the ice will make him feel a little better. Ah, they're here."

Tony followed his father's gaze and saw Danny crossing the park, his son's hand held tightly in his own. The little boy was dressed in a navy blue snow suit, thick woolen mittens on his hands, and a black helmet already on his head. The toddler was grinning excitedly at whatever his father was telling him.

"Hey, guys," Danny greeted as they reached the Flacks, shaking his best friend's hand and clapping Tony on the shoulder.

"How's it goin', man?" Don replied. He looked at Matteo then. "You ready to have some fun, buddy?"

Matteo nodded anxiously.

"Hey, Mattie, we got ya your own skates, little man. That's pretty cool, huh?" commented Tony, pulling the toddler up onto his lap.

Matteo's eyes widened.

Danny took the bob skates Don had brought along and crouched down in front of his son, slipping them onto his feet over his boots. "See, now you're all suited up, just like Uncle Don and Tony."

"You, Dada?" the toddler asked.

"Yeah, me too. See, I got my skates right here."

"You wanna head out onto the ice while your old man laces up his skates?" Don suggested. "By the time he gets those things on, you'll be playin' for the Rangers."

"Uncle Don means the Islanders, buddy," Danny corrected.

Tony rolled his eyes at the men's never-ending regional rivalries. He had to side with Messer when it came to the Giants, though. "C'mon, Matt." He set the toddler down on his feet so he could get up from the bench, then took his hand and led him over to the ice. Despite the quips he had fired at Don, he really did not mind spending the afternoon at the rink with Danny and the little boy. The kid was cute and seemed to think Tony was the greatest, and there was no question that Tony looked up to Detective Messer almost as much as his father.

Matteo had a hard time getting his footing, so he was never without a hand to hold as he ambled around the ice. Don was, by far, the best skater. Danny could hold his own, and Tony was doing pretty well considering he had only been on skates a few times before, back when Don used to take his Y boys to the arena. However, they were both much more comfortable on a baseball field than a hockey rink.

After a while, Danny and Tony went to take a break while Don continued to skate around with Matt. As they took a seat on one of the benches, Danny glanced over at the teenager. "So, how're ya doin', kid? Your old man told me about everything that went down with your friend Alyssa."

Tony shrugged. "I'm okay. And Lyss is doin' better. She went to see a counselor."

"That's good. That's real good. Ya know, you should be proud a-yourself. It takes guts to keep believing in something when no one else around you seems to. That says a lot about your character, man."

"I still got myself grounded," he admitted.

Danny smirked a little. "Yeah, well, it happens to the best of us. Despite having good intentions, you still gotta make sure you go about stuff the right way. You know what I'm saying? I mean, take it from someone who knows, man. Ya gotta think before you act. Being impulsive can get ya into a world of hurt."

Tony nodded slowly.

"So you learn from your mistakes. But never forget that no matter what, Flack and Hansen always got your back," Danny reminded him. "And if for some reason, you feel you can't go to them about something, I'll always pick up when ya call."

Tony looked up at his father's best friend with an almost awed expression. Aside from his grandmother, he had never really had people around him who cared so much before the Flacks took him in. Now he seemed to have more people in his corner than he could count. Jump had pretty much told him the same thing the previous weekend when he and Katie had stayed there. Sometimes, it was still a little overwhelming to the kid. "Thanks, Detective Messer."

"Ah, c'mon, kid. We're family. You call me Danny."

Tony nodded.

Over on the ice, Don was behind Matteo, holding onto both of the little boy's hands. The toddler was having a blast, despite the fact that the bob skates did not really allow for real skating.

Don released one hand and skated around in front of the child, crouching down in front of him. "You havin' fun, kiddo?"

Matteo nodded happily. His little face was getting red from the cold, but his smile went from one ear to the other.

"I'm happy to hear that. So, you're a big brother now, huh?" Flack started.

Matt scowled then. "Baby no go 'way."

Don laughed. "Ya know something, buddy? I think that would make your mommy and daddy and Olivia really, really sad if Luciana went away."

"She cwy."

"Yeah, babies do that. They're kinda loud sometimes. And I know that Lucy's really small and you can't really play with her right now. But you know something? _I_ got a little sister. When she was born, I wasn't too crazy about her, either. But you know what I figured out? As she got bigger, she was really fun. And she thought I was really cool. Being a big brother is pretty great, Matt. I promise. Tony will tell you the same thing."

"It's true, buddy," Tony agreed, having skated back over to them and overheard his father's comment. "Havin' a little sister is the best. Once she gets a little bigger, you'll get to read her stories and make her laugh…And no matter what, she's gonna think you're the coolest. There's nothin' better than being an older brother."

Matteo's expression was still a little skeptical, but he did not seem quite so eager to give Luciana away anymore. Both Don and Danny figured it was still going to be a while before he came around. Danny was just glad he was not old enough yet to try to negotiate some kind of trade.

**

* * *

**

"What do you think, Katie?" Noelle asked as her daughter looked at the tiny baby in Lindsay's arms with wide eyes.

While the boys were out freezing their butts off at the skating rink, the girls were snug and warm in Don and Noelle's living room with mugs of hot chocolate. Lindsay was sitting on one end of the couch holding a sleeping Luciana, the baby swaddled tightly and oblivious to the attentions of both her big sister and Katie.

"She weally, weally li'l!" Katie exclaimed.

"She is, isn't she? But you know something? _You_ were that little once," Noelle told the little girl, pulling her up onto her lap at the opposite end of the couch.

"No!"

Lindsay and Noelle both laughed at her incredulity. "You really were, sweetheart. I'll look later for the pictures I have. You were about the same size. Now look at you! My little baby Katie is getting so big!"

"How old are you going to be in April, Katie?" Lindsay asked.

Katie held up her hand with three fingers showing. "Thwee!"

"Wow. You're getting to be such a big girl!"

Katie nodded. She watched Lucy for another couple of minutes, then decided that looking at her sleep was a little boring. So, she hopped off of her mother's lap and beckoned Olivia to follow her and the two went to play with Katie's dolls over by the Christmas tree.

Once she was sure the girls were not going to get into any trouble, Noelle looked over at Lindsay. "So, Danny really thought you were having a boy, huh?"

Lindsay laughed softly. "He was like ninety-nine percent sure."

"But I bet this little angel's already got him wrapped around his little finger. No matter what Don and Danny might say, you know they wouldn't trade their little daddy's girls for the world."

"I just can't wait to see the double standard Danny invokes with the twins. Don't think I won't call him on it, either," Lindsay replied.

"Well, at least you have quite a while before you get there. Unlike Don and me, who have a fifteen year old boy who has definitely noticed the existence of girls and seems to attract the wounded birds."

"He's not still interested in Alyssa romantically, though, is he?"

"No, I don't think so. But c'mon, Linds. He's a good looking kid. Not to mention that he's a star baseball player and he's got this ridiculously big heart. I'm sure all the sophomore girls are falling all over themselves trying to get him to notice them." Noelle sighed, then quipped, "I'm far too young to be the mother of a teenager."

"Well, yes, especially when you're acting like one of them yourself. I mean, really, making out in the hospital waiting room?" Lindsay teased her.

Noelle laughed. "Have you seen my husband? Can you really blame me? At least it wasn't the showers in the precinct locker room."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Linds shot back with a wink, having lost her embarrassment over the whole thing now that her best friend knew.

Noelle glanced over to make sure the girls were well distracted before she said, "Well, I guess I really can't give you a hard time considering Don and I once did it in the back of his SUV in the parking garage at 1PP."

"You did not! When?"

"Before we were married. One night after we all went to Sullivan's. It was really hot, but I _was_ a little worried the whole time about someone seeing us."

"But that's what makes it hot, right? I always had a rule about work, but we just got carried away that night. And technically, we _were_ off the clock." She glanced down at the beautiful little baby girl asleep in her arms. "And I can't complain if this is the result."

"So, is this it? Or do you and Danny want more?" Noli asked, already having guessed the answer.

"Oh, no, no, no. This is it. Don't get me wrong. This little angel is one surprise I will thank God for every day. But three is it. So I gave Danny a choice: he can either get snipped or give celibacy a try."

Noelle smirked. "Hmm, I wonder which he chose."

Lindsay giggled. "Yeah, my man and celibacy in the same sentence…No, not so much."

"Unfortunately, Don's had a bit of experience with that lately. If there was one symptom I could trade…"

"You know that doesn't matter to Flack. All he wants is for you to be okay. That's all any of us want, sweetie."

"I am, for the most part. Honestly, since Donnie wrapped up the serial case and this thing with Alyssa died down…Having things be a little less stressful around here has helped. Of course, I'm still counting the days until February and praying things don't get worse before they get better."

"You know that if you need any help –"

"Says the new mother with three kids under the age of two underfoot. Thanks, sweetie, but I think you've got your hands full. I'm the one that's supposed be offering the help here."

"Tell ya what: you concentrate and taking care of yourself and I'll concentrate on not going out of my mind, and somehow, we'll both make it through Christmas," Lindsay said only half-jokingly.

A short while later, the front door opened and four boys came bounding in, all cold but laughing jovially after a very fun afternoon. Don, Danny and Tony stripped off their parkas and boots, Don tossing aside his hockey bag. Danny then crouched down and helped his son out of his snowsuit, mitts and boots. He leaned over and gave his little boy an Eskimo kiss, grinning at the giggle it elicited from Matteo.

Danny stood up and easily swung his son up onto his shoulders as they headed into the living room to join the girls. "We're back."

"Daddy!" Katie yelled excitedly, running over and holding out her arms so her father could pick her up, which he happily did, bestowing her cheek with a kiss. She wrinkled her nose at how cold his face was.

Olivia waved at her own daddy and her twin brother then went and climbed up onto the couch beside her mom. "Baby s'eep," she explained to them all as if suggesting they keep their voices down.

"So, did you guys have a good afternoon?" Lindsay asked.

"Yeah, it was good. But I'm stickin' to baseball," Tony replied, slumping down in the armchair, a little sore after being on skates for hours.

"So, what do ya think, cutie? Pizza all around?" Don suggested, looking at his daughter for permission.

"With pepp'woni!" she agreed excitedly. "Wight, Uncle Danny?"

"It's the only way to go, kiddo," Danny agreed. "Too bad Ray's doesn't deliver out here."

"Get used to it, babe," Lindsay said.

"What are ya talkin' about? They're not closin' Ray's are they? 'Cause that would be some kind of crime against pizza," Don said in horror.

"No, no, Ray's isn't going anywhere. Now _us_, on the other hand…"

Noelle's eyes widened. "Are you guys finally moving?"

Lindsay nodded, Danny shaking his head a little sheepishly.

Don smirked at the expression on his best friend's face. Next to Noelle's brother, no one had given them a harder time about moving out to Queens Village. And from the look on Danny's mug, he was about to eat some serious crow. "Yeah? Where to, Danno?"

When Danny failed to answer, his wife rolled her eyes a little. Then she looked at her best friend excitedly. "We're practically going to be neighbours. We found the cutest house in Forest Hills."

Don could not help it, he broke out laughing. "So the woman who wanted nothing more than to live in Manhattan, and the guy who said _I_ was sellin' out when I moved my family to the 'burbs, are movin' to Forest Hills?"

"At least it's on the right side of the Van Wyck," Danny grumbled.

Flack just laughed harder. "Danny Messer in Forest Hills. Ya put the down payment on the Dodge Caravan yet there, man?"

"Don," Noelle admonished, though she could not really fight a smirk herself before she turned back to Lindsay. "You're gonna be like fifteen minutes away! This is awesome."

"I know. And wait until you see the house, Noli. It's a raised bungalow and it's just perfect. The kids'll have a backyard to run around in…And I already found an amazing babysitter who's willing to watch all three of them once I go back to work. A friend of a friend of Hawkes."

Don was still shaking his head incredulously.

"What funny, Daddy?" Katie asked curiously.

"I think your Uncle Danny just taught you a very valuable lesson, cutie: be careful what ya say, 'cause one day it could come back and bite ya in the—"

"Donnie!" Noelle cut in. "See, Katie, this is why you get to hang out with the girls. We're a much better influence."

Katie just grinned. Then she looked over at her mother. "Mommy, what cel'bacy?"


	118. Celibacy

Don wandered into the en suite, a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. Seeing his wife lounging in their tub under a pile of bubbles, his breath caught slightly. He just stared for a moment, and then cleared his throat. "You, uh – You sure you're up for this?" he asked, praying she had not changed her mind in the ten minutes that had passed since he had gone downstairs to lock up the house and get their drinks.

"Relatively speaking, it's a good night. I suggest you take advantage and get in here, Detective," she replied with an inviting quirk of the eyebrow.

He handed her the glass of wine and set his beer down on the edge of the tub, then stripped off his t-shirt, jeans, boxers and socks in some sort of land-speed record time. He eased himself into the hot water behind his wife and drew her back into his arms. For a while, they just stayed just like that, Noelle's head resting back against her husband's chest, her eyes closing in contentment, while his finger tips stroked up and down her arms.

It was Flack that finally broke the silence. "Babe?"

"Hmm?"

"Just so I can get this straight, you bust my chops on a daily basis to watch what I say around Katie, and then you and Linds decide to have a nice little chat about sex in front of her?" he asked.

Noli bit her lip. "Who said we were talking about sex?" she countered, keeping her eyes closed and hoping he would drop the subject, knowing he had a point.

"Well, the only other context I can think of where celibacy would come up is if you and Monroe were discussing the Benedictine Monks. Now you keep tellin' Danny and me that we're delusional when it comes to sending Katie and the girls to a convent, so I highly doubt you're lookin' into a holy order for Tony."

"Fine, we were talking about sex. But we were speaking very cryptically," she admitted.

"Yeah, well, your daughter now thinks celibacy is a town in upstate New York."

Noli laughed softly. "Linds is pretty quick on her feet, isn't she?"

Don shook his head. "You realize that we may have squashed this for now, but our kid's not just some smart little girl. She's a freakin' genius, Nol. That means that at our next family gathering, or at some dinner party, or when she's visiting Mac and Stel at the Lab, she's gonna remember and ask when we can take a nice little car ride to Celibacy!"

"So we tell her it's an arid and dry place and she'd have much more fun at the botanical gardens," his wife quipped.

In spite of himself, Don chuckled. He leaned around and kissed her cheek, then dropped a kiss on her shoulder before leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses across the back of her neck.

She sighed in response.

They spent a few more minutes in silence, just enjoying the quiet moments together, then Noelle maneuvered around so she was straddling him. She trailed a hand down his chest. "I know you've had to deal with your own share of celibacy lately."

He reached over and brushed off her face a tendril that had escaped her messy ponytail. "It's like I told ya the other day, sweetheart, it doesn't matter. I might miss bein' close, but I'd rather that than you be in pain. And you know something? It just makes the times we do get to make love that much more special."

"You know what's getting me through all of this?" She leaned her forehead against his, his skin already warm and damp from the humidity in the room and the heat of the water. "You. The way you look at me. The way you love me. The way you would do anything for me or our kids." She slid her hands up his chest then around his neck, moving as close as she could. She then leaned down and kissed him languidly.

Don responded passionately, his hands cupping her face before sliding down and settling on her hips.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Flack groaned, burying his head in the crook of his wife's neck. "So close…"

She felt his frustration but knew their daughter could not be ignored. "I'll be right back. Hold my place?" She kissed his cheek, then slid out of the tub. She quickly dried herself off and pulled on her robe, then padded through the bedroom and opened the locked door to find her daughter standing there, tears rolling down her face. "Oh, sweetheart. What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

Katie sniffled and whimpered as she nodded.

Noelle swept her little girl up into her arms and held her tightly. "It's all right, baby. Mommy's here and I'll make it all better, okay?" She carried Katie down the hall into her bedroom, then sat down in the rocking chair with her daughter on her lap, the little girl's arms refusing to release their grip around her mother's neck. "Let's think about happy things. Like little baby Lucy. She's a very pretty baby, isn't she?"

Katie just snuggled close to her mother.

"And I bet you had lots of fun playing with Olivia today. And how many days now until Santa comes?"

"Six s'eeps," she said, her reply muffled against her mother's chest.

"That's right. Just six sleeps. And before then, there's other stuff to look forward to, isn't there? Daddy said he's taking you skating tomorrow, just the two of you. That sounds like a whole lot of fun. And Christmas Eve, we're gonna go to Gramma Sarah and Grampa Jack's, and Uncle Mark, Aunt Jennie, Erin and Riley will be there." Noelle kissed the top of Katie's head then pulled back a bit to look at her. "You feeling any better, honey?"

Katie nodded. "Bu' stay here, Mommy."

"I'll stay right here until you fall asleep, sweetie. I promise. And I know sometimes bad dreams are scary, but I want you to know that there's nothing for you to be scared of. Mommy and Daddy will always take care of you and Tony."

Noelle rocked Katie until the little girl fell back to sleep, then she tucked her back into her bed with a kiss to the forehead. Rocco hopped up onto the end of the bed as if he knew that Katie needed to feel safe. Noli patted the dog's head affectionately, then tip-toed out, closing the door gingerly behind her.

"Everything all right?" Don asked as his wife returned to the bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of their bed, bare-chested with just a pair of pajama pants pulled on, his cell phone in hand. He had been checking his emails while he waited for his wife to return, hoping they would be able to resume what they had started earlier.

"She had a nightmare. I rocked her until she fell back to sleep. You're not working, are you?" She nodded towards his cell.

He shook his head. "No. I'd just asked Dan to check into something for me."

"What?"

He offered a smirk. "That, Mrs. Flack, is none of your business."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I believe keeping secrets is permitted around Christmas. And our anniversary."

Noelle bit her lip, fighting back a smile.

"You thought I'd forget, didn't you?"

"No…"

He grinned. "Yeah, you did. Admit it. You thought that with everything that's been goin' on, I was gonna forget all about our anniversary."

She looked away a little sheepishly.

Don set his phone back down on the night stand and got up, walking over to his wife. He lifted her chin with his fingers so he could meet her gaze. "I may be a lot a things, doll. But a husband who forgets his anniversary? Never gonna happen. Smartest thing I ever did was marry you, so there ain't no way I'm ever gonna forget the day."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what Danny has to do with all this."

He smirked. "You really do not like surprises, do you?"

"You know I don't."

"Tough. You're just gonna have to deal."

She rolled her eyes, pulling the elastic out of her hair to let her auburn waves crash down over her shoulders. "We'll see. You know, I am really tired. I think I'm just going to crash."

As Noelle went to walk past him, Don's arm slid around her waist and he pulled her back, pressing her hard against him. His mouth crashed down on hers in a long, hot kiss that took her by surprise at first, but soon had her melting into his arms. "You're a tease, Mrs. Flack. Now, if I recall, we have some unfinished business." A hand snaked down between them and tugged on the tie on her robe.

"Donnie…" Her protest was very weak-willed. It was hard not to want a man as downright sexy as her husband happened to be. And say what she might about hating surprises, the fact that Don had already put some thought into their anniversary thrilled her all the way down to her baby toes.

"Bed. Floor. Dresser. Take your pick," he mumbled gruffly against her as his lips trailed down her neck. "But you're gettin' a real time preview of what I've got planned for the twenty-eighth."

All she could do was sigh. She was putty in his hands as he lifted her up, hitching her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the dresser and set her down on its edge, his hands moving to cup her face so he could kiss her hard. Her legs stayed wrapped around him to keep him close, and soon she was pleading with him to do a lot more than just kiss her. Of course, Don was more than happy to oblige. He moved his wife over to the bed and quickly stripped himself of what little clothes he had put back on while she wriggled free of her robe and threw it haphazardly aside. Soon he was inside of her and they were connecting with one another in a way that far transcended the act of lovemaking.

"You're not in pain, are you?" Don asked worriedly as they laid together afterwards. He had Noelle tucked close in his arms, but she had not said a word since they had shared an earth-shattering climax together.

"No," she said quietly.

"Something wrong?" he pressed.

She shifted around, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him with a smile. "No. I'm okay. I was just thinking about the last year, you know? We've come a long way."

He stroked a hand down her back, causing her to shiver. "It's crazy, huh?"

"And you know, I used to always be on edge, waiting for that other shoe to drop. But I don't feel like that anymore because I know that no matter, nothing can come between us. It's just a little overwhelming sometimes – having everything now that I had given up even dreaming about having." She leaned up and kissed him gently.

"There's gotta be something you still want," he said.

"There's only six days until Christmas, baby. I know there's been a lot going on, but I hope you're not just starting to think about what to get me _now_!"

Don laughed softly. "You have no faith in me, do ya? Your Christmas presents are all bought and wrapped, beautiful."

"You've already bought _all_ my presents? What'd ya get me?" she asked excitedly.

"Jesus, Nol, you're worse than Katie! And I ain't tellin' ya anything."

Noelle pouted. "You're mean."

"You're impatient." He drew her close and kissed her languidly. "But you're also ridiculously hot, so I guess I'll let the patience thing slide."

"Wow, so benevolent of you."

"Getting sardonic ain't gonna get any hints outta me, doll."

"Well, I guess we all have our secrets."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "That mean there are presents hidden in this house with _my_ name on 'em?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Yeah? Really? Mind if I test that theory?" He captured her mouth with a searing kiss. Both of them forgot about their sparring as they once again found themselves completely wrapped up in one another.

Don slept better than he had in weeks, exhausted from an afternoon out in the cold on skates and then making love with his wife into the early hours of the morning. When he finally awoke, it was after ten a.m. He had the day off and the only thing he had planned was to take Katie skating if she still wanted to go, but he still felt a little guilty for sleeping away much of the morning as he wandered down the stairs to find the rest of his family hanging out in the living room. Noelle was curled up in the armchair with her laptop, Katie was colouring at her play table, and Tony was still muddling his way through _Macbeth_, stretched out on the couch.

"Daddy!" Katie greeted excitedly. "We go skate now!"

"How 'bout you let your old man get a cup of coffee in him, cutie? Then we can go."

She sighed, but nodded.

Don walked over and dropped a kiss on the top of Noelle's head, then looked at his son and nodded towards the kitchen. He headed across the hall to get himself the cup of coffee he was craving.

"What's up?" Tony asked as he joined his father.

"You still cool with staying with my folks from Boxing Day to New Year's Eve?"

"Yeah, no problem. Danny came through?"

"Big time. But for your own protection, you know nothin', all right? 'Cause if Nol finds out you know what I've got planned, she'll drive ya crazy tryin' to get itoutta you. I'm talking relentless."

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Your ma doesn't really like surprises."

"She'll like this, Dad. Don't worry."

"I hope so, man."

"'k, Daddy. We go now?" Katie pleaded, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Don shook his head with a smile. "Five minutes, Katie. Why don't you go pee before I get you into your snowsuit and boots, all right?"

"I no have to, Daddy."

"You say that now, cutie, but two seconds after we get out the door, you'll have to. Now go."

She scowled, but turned and headed off.

Don laughed and looked at his son. "In case it ever comes up in science class or something, impatience ain't a genetic trait. It's a learned behaviour. And there's your proof. Feel free to quote me."

"Am I allowed to quote Mrs. Messer if I ever have to explain what celibacy is in health class?" Tony asked with a lop-sided grin. He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter, then headed back towards the living room, calling over his shoulder, "Is it closer to Syracuse or Rochester?"

Flack could not help but grin. "That's my boy."


	119. Four in the Morning

Flack, Noelle and Tony had all underestimated Katie's excitement when it came to Christmas morning. They knew she was looking forward to Santa's visit, but considering she was three months shy of turning three years old, they were not quite prepared for how much their little girl genius really grasped about the whole thing. Of course, spending Christmas Eve with her five year old cousin probably spurred her on a little. But when Don and Noli told her that she had to go to sleep or Santa would not show up, she happily complied. They all figured that was it and they were set until the sun came up.

However, Tony was the first to fully experience her awe and excitement of the day – when she woke him up at four in the morning. She jumped up on his bed and pulled his arm to try to get him up. "Wha--?" he started groggily.

"Tony, Santa come! Santa come! We go get pwesents!" she exclaimed. She tried in vain to pull him up, but her strength was no match for the fifteen year old's brawn.

He glanced over at the clock. "Katie! It's way too early! Ya gotta go back to sleep for a while, princess!"

"No! Let see what Santa bwought!" she implored.

Tony sat up with a sigh and looked at his little sister, giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the dark. "Look at the clock, Katie. What is the number at the front there?"

She looked at the digital clock on his bedside table. "Four."

"Yes, four! It's four in the freakin' morning! It's too early to be gettin' up. Dad and Noelle will kill us if we get up now."

"Bu'—"

"Katie. Sleep. You can stay here if you want, but it's too early to get up." He laid back down with a yawn, throwing an arm over his eyes.

Katie pouted and went to get off the bed so she could go get her parents.

Feeling her weight shift and having a good hunch that she was not about to go back to bed, Tony sighed and reached out and grabbed his sister. He tickled her and pulled her down beside him. Once she had stopped giggling, he muttered, "Sleep, princess. No arguing or I'll tell Detective Taylor to call Santa to take your presents back."

The little girl's eyes widened.

"I think he even has Santa's direct line on speed dial on that snazzy cell phone of his."

She sighed. "No call Santa. I be good, I pwomise. I stay here?"

"Sure. But no gettin' up until the number on the front of the clock is at least seven. Got it?"

She held up her fingers and counted the difference from four until seven. Her brow furrowed.

Tony ruffled her hair. "The presents will all still be there. Then Dad's gonna make pancakes for breakfast. We got a big day and ya can't be tired, right?"

"How I jus' go look. I not touch. I pwomise," she tried to negotiate hopefully.

Tony laughed. He was sure he had been excited like this when he was little but he really did not remember. "Nice try. Now c'mon and go back to sleep. I'm tired." He tucked Katie in on the other side of his bed, then he rolled over and closed his eyes. He fought sleep for a while to ensure she did not go anywhere, then they both finally drifted off again.

When Katie woke up again, Tony was still asleep. She looked over at the clock and saw the first number was now six. She decided that was close enough to seven, so she hopped down off the bed and took off running to her parents' room. She found the door unlocked, so she turned the knob with both hands and pushed the door open, then ran inside and hopped up on the end of the bed between her two sleeping parents. "Santa come! Wake up!" she announced.

Don groaned at the interruption to some much needed sleep. "Cutie?" He opened one eye and groaned again when he noted the time on the clock: 6:05am. "It's early, cutie. How 'bout we sleep for another hour?"

"We go get pwesents _now_!" she explained.

Don could not help but chuckle at her exuberance. He opened both eyes and sat up, running a hand through his hair.

Noelle stirred beside him. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Merry Christmas, doll," he greeted.

Noli sat up and looked at her daughter who was bouncing anxiously at the end of the bed, barely able to contain her energy and excitement. "Sweetheart, it's – Wow, it's very early," she tried to quell her little girl to no avail.

"Bu' it not four. I waited!" she said proudly.

"Katie? Ah, man. C'mon, princess, what'd I tell ya?" Tony sighed, walking into his parents' room where he had feared he would find his sister, his expression apologetic as he glanced at his parents. "I'm sorry. I tried but she got away."

"She was up at four?" Don asked, amused.

Tony nodded. "I got her back to sleep, but she still managed to escape."

"Well, I guess since we're all up…" Flack look at his daughter, her excitement contagious. He had missed his first Christmas morning with her last year so he had been looking forward to this. Not to mention that it was also their first Christmas all together in their own home. Although he had enjoyed dinner with his in-laws the night before and was looking forward to seeing his parents and siblings later in the day, _this_ was what he had really been anticipating.

"We go see what Santa bwing?" Katie asked, so excited she appeared about to burst.

Don reached over and pulled Katie up into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Yes, cutie, we'll go see what Santa brought."

"Yay!"

Flack kissed her cheek, then set her down on the floor.

Moments later, Katie held Tony's hand and was practically pulling him down the stairs as Noelle and Flack followed them with Rocco at their heels. Although Noli and Don knew what awaited the kids under the tree, they were still anxious to see their reactions. Plus, neither had any clue as to what the other had purchased for them.

Like their two sets of parents had done in their own youth, Don and Noelle had not wrapped the presents that "Santa" had brought, so as Don turned on the lights in the living room, Katie started jumping up and down at the sight of the bright pink Disney princesses bicycle with training wheels that was sitting beside the Christmas tree, as well as the latest talking Elmo.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look!" Katie exclaimed, her eyes as wide as saucers. She ran over and picked up the Elmo and hugged him tightly as she ran a hand over the bicycle.

"Whoa," Tony whispered as he picked up the baseball glove and bat that were leaning up against the wall on the other side of the tree. "How?"

Noelle and Don smiled at one another as Tony looked incredulously at the bat signed by Derek Jeter, the glove by A.J. Burnett. "Santa's got some connections," Don said with a wink for his son.

Tony smirked. He guessed it was his father or maybe Danny who had the connections, maybe even Detective Taylor. Whoever had pulled it off, it was the greatest present ever. He couldn't wait to show Sonny and John. They were all Yankees fanatics and the guys were going to flip out when they saw what he had scored.

"There's more, guys. Why don't we open the rest of the presents that are under the tree?" Noelle suggested.

Katie was almost vibrating at the prospect of opening even more gifts.

Within the hour, the living room turned from a Normal Rockwell painting to a scene out of movie about a tornado. Wrapping paper was strewn all over as Katie played with her new toys and Tony read through the instructions on a couple of new video games, the liner notes out of his new CDs also spread out around him. Don and Noelle were oblivious as they sat together on the couch. Don was now wearing the new watch his wife had given him, the back having been engraved with words from Mohandas Gandhi: _Love never claims, it ever gives._ Meanwhile, Noelle was still admiring the family ring with which her husband had gifted her. It had a garnet for him, an aquamarine for her, a diamond for Katie, and a peridot for Tony all set in a white gold band. She thought it was the most precious gift anyone had ever given her. Although she cherished the engagement ring that had once belonged to Grandmother Flack, this family ring would be the one she would make sure she never took off. There were other presents, books, CDs and the like, but the more intimate gifts, the ones that told the other how well they were known and loved, were the most prized.

After eating pancakes for breakfast and playing with her new toys for a few hours, Katie crashed. Don carried her upstairs and tucked her into her bed so she could nap before they left for his parents' house. Tony was given a reprieve from his grounding for the day and permitted to play his new video games, so he was on the couch in the living room enjoying his new Nascar racing game. Don and Noelle then settled at the kitchen table with cups of coffee, Noli checking email on her laptop while Don leafed through a book on the history of the NHL that Noelle had given to him.

"David says 'Merry Christmas,' " she announced.

Don glanced up from his book. "Rossi?"

"Yep. He says things are good in D.C. and he hopes we're all doing well. And as soon as there's a release date for my book, he and Emily want to know."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know how I feel about Rossi emailing my wife," he said jokingly.

"He sent it to us both_, _smartass. You just haven't gotten around to checking yours yet. Although, I like that bit of a jealous streak you've got going there." She leaned over and kissed him gently. She then glanced down at the ring he had given her. "I love this."

"See, you _do_ like surprises," he teased her.

"When they come from you…maybe," she relented. "I'd still like to know what you've got planned for our anniversary."

"You'll find out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"I'm taking you away for a few days. And that's all you're gettin'."

"We're going away?"

"Just the two of us. Mom and Dad are taking the kids and I'm takin' you away from everything for five nights."

"Donnie…"

He kissed her quickly. "That's it, Nol. You'll just have to wait 'til tomorrow for the rest." He got up and headed over to the coffee maker for a refill.

"I feel kind of bad about leaving the kids…"

"They're cool, babe," he assured her, leaning back against the counter. "Tony knows, and Katie's gonna be so busy playing with all her new toys…Hey, you know my old man. He's already got her days all planned out so she's gonna be too preoccupied to miss us. And I think it'll be good for _you_ to get away for a few days without any stress. You can rest all ya want, and if you're up for some other stuff, well…"

She rolled her eyes a little at the waggle of his eyebrows. "Other stuff, huh? Like reading? Oh, and I can't wait to listen to the new Michael Bublé and U2 discs you got me. And I should definitely try and get my latest chapter finished before the holidays are over."

"Yes, that's definitely the other stuff I had in mind," he deadpanned.

Noelle grinned. "Soon as you give up the location, maybe I'll think about giving up some other things."

"I believe you made the same threats last year before I disclosed the location of our honeymoon." He smirked then. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but you couldn't even wait until the plane landed to 'give up.' I ain't worried, doll."

She blushed, remembering their tryst on the plane on en route to Israel last year. She bit her lip. "Are we, uh – Is there flying involved this time?" she wondered.

Don shrugged.

"I get it. I'm in the dark until tomorrow."

"You trust me?"

"Of course. With my heart, my life and those of our kids. I just figured I should know what to pack."

"Already done." He glanced at his new watch then. "We should go soon. I'll go get Katie up." He set his coffee cup down, walked over and kissed her on top of the head, then retreated upstairs.

Noelle finished looking over the emails in her inbox, then quirked an eyebrow. She got up and headed across the foyer and stood in the doorway to the living room. "Hey, sweetheart. You liking the game?" she asked her son.

"Yeah, it's cool. Ya want a shot?" Tony offered.

"No, that's fine. We're actually going to be heading over to Jump and Maggie's soon." She walked over and sat down in the armchair as he continued with the game. For a moment, she just watched Tony winning the Nascar race, before she said carefully, "You know, I really appreciate you being so great about staying with Don's folks for the next few days."

Tony paused the game. "Dad told ya? So, you wore him down, huh?" he kidded.

She smiled. "Something like that."

"Hey, it's cool. And I'll take care of Katie, don't worry."

"I'm not. You're a good big brother, sweetie. We'll miss you, you know. As nice as it will be to be away, especially in – Well, you know."

Tony smirked then. "But you don't. Nice try, Noelle."

She sighed. "You really are turning into your father."

He grinned proudly at the comment.

She laughed then at the expression on his face. She knew there was nothing he wanted more than to be like Don. Of course, he seemed to be picking up some of her husband's more irritating traits, as well – like torturing her.

"What do you have against surprises?" he asked her then.

"Honestly, before Don came along, most of the surprises I'd had in my life were not that pleasant. And I guess I'm still not used to being spoiled the way he does."

"I get that. But you know Dad loves you and he just wants you to be happy, right? So he would only surprise you with something good, right?"

She shook her head a little incredulously. "When did you get to be so wise?"

He just shrugged, his face colouring a little.

"I take Elmo, too?" they heard Katie asking as she descended the stairs in her father's arms.

"Of course, baby girl. You can take Elmo wherever ya want. And you can show him to all your cousins, all right?" Don replied. He carried his daughter into the living room. Noticing Tony's game paused, he raised his eyebrows. "What's up with you two?"

"Your son refuses to divulge your secrets," Noelle explained.

Don chuckled. He had wondered how long it would take before his wife was pumping their son for information.

"What secwet?" Katie asked curiously.

"Ah, if I told ya, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it, cutie?" Don countered.

"I no tell," she promised.

At that, they all laughed, knowing much better than to ever entrust the little girl with any important information.

"You know what, sweetie? I think we should get to Grandma and Grandpa's. What do ya think?" Don asked, tickling his little girl's tummy.

She giggled. "'k."

Noelle stood up and ran a hand through her daughter's chestnut curls. "So, do you like everything that Santa brought you, honey?"

She nodded happily. "He bwought my twike and Elmo and my book! An' he come 'morrow?"

"I'm afraid not, cutie. That's it until next year," her father explained. "He has to go back to the North Pole and rest for a while. And then he and the elves have to start making all the _new_ toys. That's a lot of work."

"Not to mention that he has to hit the treadmill after all those cookies," Tony quipped.

Katie scowled. "Wha' 'bout Wudolph? He come back and pway with Wocco?"

"I think Rocco's probably happy just to play with you, cutie," Don assured her.

She sighed. She furrowed her brow then. "Why Santa no bwing you and Mommy pwesents?" she asked, looking at her father curiously.

"Because Santa only brings presents to good little boys and girls – and sometimes big brothers like Tony. Mommy and Daddy are too old."

"Speak for yourself," Noelle muttered jokingly.

Don flashed her one of his dimpled grins.

"But you no have new toys to pway wit'," Katie continued worriedly.

"Mommy and Daddy still got some nice presents that we gave each other," Noli assured her little girl. "You saw the ring Daddy gave me, right? It's very special."

Katie's eyes widened as her mother showed her the new trinket again. "It sparkly."

"And the four stones represent the four of us. So even when we're not together, I still always have a piece of you with me. Isn't that cool? So you don't have to worry about Daddy and me, okay? Besides, as pretty and cherished as this ring already is, it's not even the best present I got this year. You know what that is?"

Katie shook her head.

"Getting to be all together this morning. See, nothing is more important to me than you, Tony and Daddy. So, that's what makes Christmas special. Not everybody gets to be with their mommies or daddies or big brothers on Christmas so we're very lucky."

The little girl grinned.

"And just wait 'til this afternoon. You guys thought Thanksgiving was loud?" Flack commented.

Tony smiled at the thought. He'd take loud any day if it meant getting to be part of a family like he had found with the Flacks. He would even let being awakened at four a.m. slide when it meant he got to see his little sister beam the way she had when she first saw the presents under the tree, or his mother tear up when Don slipped the ring on her finger, or his father grin as he read the inscription on the back of his watch. And he knew Noelle was right. The presents were great, but they weren't even the best part.

"Hey, you all right, kid?" Don asked, sitting down next to his son as Noelle went to get Katie ready to go.

"Yeah, sure."

"C'mon, what's on your mind?"

"I was just thinkin' that a lot of bad stuff's gone down this year," Tony started.

Don furrowed his brow. "Yeah, it has."

"But I never had a Christmas like this before. And Noelle was right. It wasn't 'cause of the presents."

Flack smiled then. He reached over and patted his son's cheek.

"Best thing that ever happened to me was when you and Noelle let me come live here."

"I'm glad you think so. And you know, it works both ways."

Tony looked a little sheepish then. "It okay if I take my bat and glove to show Will and your dad?"

Don nodded with a smile. While his son might be wise beyond his years, he was still a kid – with some cool Christmas presents to show off. He would forever be in Mac's debt for arranging the autographs because the grin on his son's face when he first saw the bat and glove would always stay with him. Tony was right, a lot of bad stuff had happened this year. But for the most part, they had all emerged unscathed. As far as Don was concerned, that made this first Christmas together something to really celebrate.


	120. One Year

Don leaned against the balcony railing and looked out at the Caribbean Sea. A quick glance over his shoulder told him his wife was still sleeping soundly in the king-sized bed in their hotel room, despite the fact that the sun was still high in the cloudless blue sky. He was relieved that she had at least been able to enjoy their first day in paradise. Their room overlooked the sandy white beaches of the Mayan Riviera, and they had already been out swimming in the sea and had spent the previous afternoon by the pool, reading and sipping sugary blender drinks. Unfortunately, during their walk along the beach early this morning, she had nearly passed out. He had spirited her back to the room and insisted she rest, it being obvious that she was in an insurmountable amount of pain. He hoped that if she took it easy for the rest of the day and got a decent night's sleep, she might be up to celebrating once their actual anniversary arrived the next day.

Their anniversary. On one hand, Don could hardly believe that a year had passed since their wedding at Webber Castle. On the other, it felt like since so much had happened, ten years must have passed since that day. One thing was certain – his life had been better since the day he met that beautiful woman eighteen months ago and he would not trade a second.

* * *

"_Oh, God, I'm sorry," a woman apologized as she turned from the bar with her drink and nearly spilled it all over him, obviously not realizing he had been quite so close behind her. _

"_No harm done," Don offered with a dimpled grin. _

_

* * *

_

As she reached into her pocket, Don reached up and touched her arm, stopping her. "It's okay. I got this." He nodded toward Frankie to put it on his tab.

_Frankie walked away to serve another customer, leaving the woman with no recourse. _

"_Where I come from, a gentleman never lets a beautiful woman pay for a drink," Don explained._

"_Well, while I'm relieved to see that chivalry really isn't dead, letting me pay for a drink would not knock the world off its axis. And as I recall, I was the one who almost spilled my drink all over your suit earlier. I should be buying a round for you."_

"_Please tell me you're not a lawyer," he teased her. _

"_No," she laughed. "Why? You have something against lawyers?"_

"_I'm a homicide detective. We don't always get along."_

"_Ah. Well, never fear. I, uh – I work for an insurance company. Noelle Hansen." She extended her hand._

_He shook her hand gently. "Don Flack."_

* * *

Man, he had been into her from the moment he first laid eyes on her. A guy like Don Flack had never believed in love at first sight, and perhaps it really was not love he had felt at the moment they had first come into contact. But there had been _something_ intangible, something unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He knew he had to have her. And finding out she had a daughter had not changed that. In fact, if anything, meeting Katie had only pulled him in even further. In mere days, he had gone from confirmed bachelor to a man who could not see himself living without the woman who had captured his heart and her daughter.

He shook his head with a smile. It had been a long time since he had told a woman other than his mother or one of his sisters that he loved her, and the first time he told Noelle had certainly not been anything romantic. He remembered their urgency to get back to his place that afternoon after taking in a Yankees game, the prospect of making love for the first time almost more then they could handle. Then they got caught in one of the worst traffic jams the city had seen in a while…

_

* * *

_

She ran her fingers through her hair and sat back in her seat, taking in the scene of miles of stopped cars all around them. She rolled her eyes when she heard a couple horns honking. "Idiots," she muttered. "It's not going to get them there any quicker."

"_Says the woman with no patience," Don teased her._

"_Need I remind you that you were cursing the gods yourself five minutes ago," Noelle countered._

"_Yeah, well, I had good reason."_

_She quirked an eyebrow. "Sex? Hmm."_

"_Sex with the woman I love. There's a difference, sweetheart."_

"_Yes, but it's still…" She trailed off, the implication of what he had just said sinking in. Her eyes widened._

_Don looked equally as surprised at the words that had spilled out. And leave it to him to profess his feelings while arguing about sex. He knew there was no taking it back, no pretending it never happened. And honestly, he did not want to take it back. He just wished he had candles and flowers and some soft music, not car exhaust, honking horns and traffic reports to punctuate his words. "Noli…"_

"_It's okay. You don't need to–"_

"_Yeah, I do. If someone had told me a couple months ago that this was going to be what I wanted more than anything, I would've thought they were crazy. But I do. I love you. And I love Katie." He reached over and took her hand. "You know, I've spent most of the past fifteen years trying to prove myself as a cop, trying to step out of my old man's shadow. Nothing else really mattered and I certainly never made time for anything else. But then this chick ran into me in a bar and completely changed everything."_

_The corners of her mouth turned up in a shy smile. "Katie adores you, you know. So does her mom." _

_Don moved across the front seat and kissed his girlfriend gently. _

"_I do love you, Donald Flack, Jr.," she sighed._

"_I think that's the first time in my life I haven't minded being called Donald."_

_She laughed softly, reaching up and touching his cheek tenderly. "I won't make a habit of it, I promise." She brushed her lips over his. "You're pretty incredible, you know that? You just made the most impatient woman in the world like traffic jams."_

* * *

Hearing her say those words to him – nothing had ever sounded sweeter. He had known then, without a doubt, that he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. And when they finally made love for the first time…He was pretty sure he had seen stars. Sex had certainly never been a problem for them. She had gone from inexperienced virgin to insatiable lover in record time. But that was not even the best part about being with her. She just made him…happy. He walked through the precinct halls with a goofy grin on his face. He still had his edge on the job, but off the clock, he was lighter. And before he knew it, he was carrying around a ring that was practically burning a hole in his pocket.

Nothing had ever made him more nervous than asking Jack for his daughter's hand. But Noelle's father had quickly given him his blessing. And while the woman he loved deserved some grand, romantic gesture, Don had followed his gut instinct and proposed in the middle of her living room:

* * *

"_Actually, before we put her down, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Don said, setting the storybook aside and grabbing his girlfriend's wrist as she went to get up. There was something about the moment that just seemed perfect. After all, was this not a snapshot of the life he wanted to offer to her?_

_Noelle sat back down, looking at him expectantly. She furrowed her brow when he hesitated, a little worried. "Is – Uh, is something wrong?" she asked._

"_What? No! No, nothing's wrong. In fact…Everything's perfect. Well, except for one thing."_

_She raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"_

_Holding onto Katie with one arm, he reached into the pocket of his dress slacks with the other and pulled out the ring he had carried with him everywhere since his father had given it to him. _

_The baby was instantly enamoured with the shiny ring and reached for it._

_Don and Noelle both laughed, though Noelle's eyes quickly filled with tears and her heartbeat quickened as she realized what was happening._

_Don kissed the little girl's temple, before looking at her mother. "As much as I know she would like this, it belongs to you. That is, if you'll agree to become my wife." He set Katie down beside her mother on the couch, then slid off the couch and dropped down on one knee in front of his girlfriend. "I love you. Both of you. More than anything. And I want us to be a family. So, Noelle, I'm askin' you: will you do me the honour of marrying me and becoming my wife?"_

_She was stunned. But as she looked into his eyes and saw everything he was offering her staring right back at her, she knew there was only one answer. "Yes! Oh, my God, yes!" she exclaimed, hugging him fiercely._

_Don pulled back a bit and captured her lips, kissing her deeply for a moment. Then he released her and looked at Katie. He leaned over and kissed the child's forehead. "You hear that, Katie? Your mommy just made me the happiest guy in the world and agreed to marry me! That means we're gonna live together and be a family."_

* * *

Hearing Noelle say "yes" had been almost as magical as hearing her say "I love you" for the first time. But there was another word that had cut right down deep to his soul: the first time Katie said "Dada". He remembered with a grin how innocently and naturally it had occurred. She had just reached for him and the word had spilled from her tiny mouth, "Dada". After that, all he wanted was to marry Noelle and adopt Katie.

He had always thought he was a wedding at City Hall kind of guy, but when he realized Noli had dreams of the big, white wedding, he had done everything in his power to make it happen – even if it meant having the wedding at the scene of a previous homicide. But when he watched her walk down that aisle in the conservatory of Webber Castle, time had stopped, and he had known that every thing that had happened had led him to that moment. He knew he'd had to endure having that hole blown in chest, that Noli'd had to go through everything she had from not knowing who her father was to the hysterectomy, so they could arrive at that place. When he had slipped that gold band onto her finger, he had known that nothing would ever tear them apart.

* * *

"…_show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."_

_In the silence, Katie looked around, confused as to how it could be so quiet in a room where nearly three hundred people were gathered. "Dada?" she whispered, looking up at Don._

_He and Noelle shared a chuckle. "You objecting there, cutie?" he said, loud enough only for the couple and the sergeant to hear._

_Katie grinned, seeing that she had made her parents laugh._

"_Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"_

_Jack and Sarah stood proudly. "We do," they replied in unison._

_Katie giggled and waved at her grandparents._

"_Shh," Noelle said quietly to her daughter, though the smile on her face took away any hint of chastising._

_The sergeant could not quite suppress his own amused smile, but he then looked at Flack. "Donald, do you take Noelle for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"_

_Don grinned at his bride, the weight of the question not the least bit daunting. "I will."_

"_Noelle, do you take Donald for your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honour, comfort and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"_

_Noelle nodded with a confident smile. "I will."_

* * *

Not that it had been smooth sailing since. Carlos Caravaggio, Gaetano Parezi…One's sick obsession with his wife, the other's misguided attempt at self-preservation. Don would never forget the feeling in the pit of his stomach when Danny had gotten that text message:

* * *

"_Lansing just called in shots fired at an office building in Manhattan."_

_Don furrowed his brow. "Spell this out for me 'cause I ain't likin' the look on your face."_

"_Lansing and Ruffalo are second watch on Noelle. You recognize this address?" Messer asked, holding up his phone for Don to read the message._

_The homicide detective paled. "Yeah. Mark's office is in that building."_

* * *

Of course, his wife never ceased to amaze him, managing to disarm Parezi with a well-placed tackle to save both her and her brother. The guys at the house had razzed him about his wife's kung-fu skills for week. He took the teasing in stride with a proud smile on his face.

Life had settled down for a few months. They had inherited a dog, they bought their first house and moved to the suburbs like grown-ups were supposed to do, and they made the decision to expand their family. The adage that "life is what happens when you're making other plans" came to Don's mind, because just as they started to feel like everything was falling into place, an innocent demonstration for Katie at the Lab had led to the discovery that her father was right there in the city. Don's gut still knotted at the realization that they could have lost her had Viktor not made the selfless sacrifice he did. Flack would forever be in his debt, and he would proudly tell Katie one day of the great love her birth parents had for her. And right there, in the midst of it all, Tony had come into their life and made their family complete.

Joseph's trial was still pending. Tony had not talked of him for weeks, but Don suspected that once the trial approached, old wounds would re-open. The difference now was that Tony was well entrenched as a Flack. He no longer saw Don and Noelle as the couple who had taken him in, but as his parents. When the word "Dad" first escaped his lips, Don had thought maybe it was a one-time slip. But the kid had not called him "Flack" since. He grinned at the realization. As far as he was concerned, Tony was his son, as much as Katie was his daughter. He did not care that they did not share one shred of his DNA, that Katie had chestnut coloured curls and deep brown eyes, or that Tony had olive coloured skin. They were his and Noelle's kids. The love he felt for them was overwhelming and powerful and he had no doubt that he would lay down his own life to protect them or kill anyone who threatened their safety without a second thought.

Of course, life was not perfect. Turning around and looking into the hotel room, his eyes fell on his sleeping wife. The woman who still took his breath away. He would give anything to take away her pain. It still brought tears to his eyes to think of everything she been going through since the endometriosis came back, the fears that had taken hold of her at the start…

* * *

"_Knowing this is what you were like before, there's no way in hell anyone would think you made a selfish choice. You bought yourself three years without any pain. You think that was for nothin'? Sweetheart, you made the only choice you could. And there's a good chance we wouldn't have the life we have now if you'd done things any differently. Think about it. If you hadn't adopted Katie, where do you think she'd be right now?'_

_Noelle shrugged. "I – I don't know. I'm sure someone else would have adopted her."_

"_You think that someone would have loved her as much as we do? Or where the hell would we be without her? I mean, when she smiles at you, don't you just feel so ridiculously happy that nothing can touch you in that moment?"_

_She could not help the smile that tugged at her lips._

"_And what about Tony? What's biology done for him? His biological mother's an addict that couldn't have cared less about her son, and his father didn't even hang around long enough to meet the kid he gave his DNA to. And don't get me started on Joseph …"_

_She sighed. "Donnie…"_

_He looked at her seriously. "I don't sit around asking myself what if's. There's no point. Especially when I got no complaints about the life I got."_

"_No complaints? Yeah, the last month's been a barrel of laughs," she scoffed._

"_No, it sucks. I'd do just about anything not to have to go through any of this with you right now. But this is the hand we were dealt, so we'll deal. And I'd rather be goin' through whatever this is together than not have you – and everything else you've given me – in my life." He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll never leave you, No. I'm in this. But you've gotta be in it with me."_

"_I am," she whispered, overwhelmed._

_He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "I coulda put all your fears to rest weeks ago if you'd let me in, but instead you've driven yourself so crazy that you started having nightmares. I wish you woulda just talked to me."_

_She looked away. _

_Don reached over and tilted her chin so she was forced to look at him again. "I know you've got a lot more experience dealing with this than I do, and you're used to handling it on your own. And we've already established that I'm gonna screw up, like callin' my folks today without consulting you first. But we both gotta find a way to get do this together. Otherwise we're gonna be in trouble. So, no more pushin' me away."_

'_I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah, me, too. I shoulda clued in long before tonight. But I want you to trust that I'm not goin' anywhere. I love you, all right?"_

"_I love you, too. More than you know."_

* * *

They were still awaiting her surgery, and she was having more bad days than good it seemed. Of course, she was so damn stubborn that he knew she pushed herself too much sometimes. That was part of the reason he had brought her to Mexico. She always put him and their kids ahead of herself, and for the five days they had in paradise he wanted her to selfish. He wanted her to sleep if that was what she needed, to sit by the pool and just soak up the sun, and to just focus on taking care of herself.

"Donnie?"

He escaped the memories that had taken over his thoughts and walked back into the suite. He smiled when he found Noli sitting up, running a hand through her tousled hair. "Hey, babe. How ya doin'?"

"I'm sorry," she replied instead of answering his question.

He furrowed his brow as he sat down on the bed facing her. "Ya gotta stop apologizing, doll. None of this is your fault."

"You brought me on this amazing trip and I'm sleeping the day away."

"Noli, you just about passed out on me earlier. You need to rest, all right? That's why I brought you here." Don leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"I was just hoping for more good days this week. I know that this is just as hard on you."

"Nol, yeah, it's hard watching you like this and I wish I could take the pain away, but I'm not the one living with this. You're incredibly strong and you knock me out the way you deal. And – Look, doll, I wouldn't trade a second we've had together. Before you came along, it was like there was still a hole inside my chest, like something was missing. I haven't felt that since I met you."

"You always know the right things to say," she smiled.

Don just shrugged. "I just know how I feel. That's something you gave me, too. Look, Noli, I love you, all right? I love our life. Yeah, it ain't always easy. But I'll take the Parezis and the Viktors and the Josephs if it means having you, Katie and Tony to come home to every night, if I get to go to bed with you beside me and know you'll be there when I wake up. Seeing Katie's eyes light up on Christmas morning, hearing Tony call me "Dad"…Jesus, do you know how great all that makes me feel? You know, Pop told me once that it doesn't matter what kind of commendations or accolades I might get on the job. What matters is my family because that'll be my legacy. And I am so proud of the family we've made. So I'll take whatever bad comes our way, 'cause no matter what, the good will always come out on top – 'cause no matter what, I'll always have you and our kids."

Noelle knelt up in front of her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I hope you know that I'm still as madly in love with you as I was the day I married you."

"Ditto." He flashed his dimpled grin, then met her lips for a long and lazy kiss. "How 'bout you change into that bikini I bought for you then I'll slather you with sunscreen and we'll go sit down by the pool for a while?" he suggested when they came up for air.

"I'm not wearing the bikini, Donnie," she scoffed.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I've got scars all over."

"They're all laparoscopic. Nobody can see 'em, doll. C'mon, you're the hottest woman I know, you shouldn't be afraid to show off."

"Don…"

"Nobody can see 'em. I swear, you just gotta trust me. Unless you're up close and personal, they're barely noticeable. So, if anyone's noticing, they got other things to worry about, like my fist headin' in their direction."

She laughed.

He looked her over then. She was wearing one of his button downs and she actually looked sexier than he knew she would in the bikini. "Ya know, I'm thinkin' I should put the sunscreen on you naked so I don't miss any spots."

"So conscientious of you, Detective."

"That's me. Ya can't be too careful."

"I should ensure that Irish skin of _yours_ doesn't burn, either." She reached for the hem of the wife beater he was wearing along with a pair of board shorts, and yanked the top up and over his head. Running her hands down his chest, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

Don smirked. "I don't remember…"

"Couldn't have been that important then." She pushed him down so he was on his back and climbed over him, leaning down and kissing him languidly.

"Babe, I don't want to hurt you," Don said between kisses, certainly not complaining about the direction things were going, but a little worried considering how horrible she had been feeling earlier.

"The meds took the edge off and they haven't worn off yet. So just go slow," she murmured.

"I can do slow…" He reached up and started unbuttoning her shirt.

Noelle's bikini finally saw the light of the tropical sun – when they finally left the room the next afternoon. They spent their anniversary between the beach and the pool, then they ordered up room service and dined on the balcony of their suite, Noelle clad in a long, flowery halter sundress and Don in a pair of tan chinos and a white button down. The stars danced across the water, but neither really noticed.

"So a year, huh?" Noelle smiled as she held up her glass of sparkling cider.

Don clinked his glass against hers. "And here's to another fifty."

"I say we aim for sixty."

He grinned. "Always the optimist." He shook his head a little incredulously. "Really, what happened to the woman who was always waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

Noelle laughed softly. "Honey, the other shoe dropped so many times this year that I started to lose count. But look at us. We're still standing. Isn't there some sad statistic about the number of marriages that end before the first anniversary? We've already beaten the odds."

"Better believe it, baby."

"Donnie, you bring out the best in me, and where I can't step up, you do. We balance each other out, and we back each other up. I know it sounds cliché, but I don't believe that there's anything we can't do together."

Flack nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "You know, I never really saw myself married with kids, despite comin' from the family I do, but now I can't see it any other way." He reached across the table and took her hand. "I know we've got a tough road ahead, especially the next couple months. But there's a lot to look forward to, right? I can't wait to see your book sittin' on the shelves in all the bookstores around Manhattan. I'm so proud of you, babe."

"You know that works both ways. There's something to be said about being the wife of the best homicide detective in New York. And before you go getting all modest on me, you really think Bowery handed you the task force and the serial case because he just felt like it? He believed you were the best man for the job, just like I do. And I think we're setting a good example for our children, doing what we love to do, what we're passionate about."

Don took a forkful of the chocolate cake sitting in front of him and offered it to his wife. As she licked her lips after, he sat back in his chair, fighting off the wave of arousal that passed through him. "I know what I'm passionate about, and what I'd love to do about it."

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "You really think you're going to get lucky, just because you swept me away to a tropical paradise for our anniversary and arranged this extremely delicious and intimate dinner?" she teased him.

"I mighta been hoping…"

"Well, I guess we should take advantage of the fact that there's no chance a toddler will suddenly be pounding on our door or that a teenage crisis might arise…"

"See, that's exactly what I was thinking."

She smiled. "No, _you_ were thinking that I shouldn't have double-knotted the tie on my dress."

Don grinned. "Happy Anniversary, Mrs. Flack."

"Happy Anniversary, Detective."


	121. Mommy's Secret

**A/N **I'm not sure if this is really appropriate to ask this here, but I have discovered what a supportive and caring community this place is. So, for those of you who believe in the power of prayer, I am asking you to pray for my family. You all know about my ongoing struggle with endometriosis but thrown into the mix this week was news that my father requires heart bypass surgery. We were already awaiting surgeries for my sister-in-law (gallbladder) and my mom (eye), but this news about Dad was unexpected and threw us for a loop. The chapter ahead turned into my coping mechanism and I channeled some of that into Noelle. However, Noelle is faring much better than I am.

* * *

Don rolled over and reached for his wife. He opened his eyes when his arms hit blankets and sheets instead of her warm contours. Not only that, but the covers on her side of the bed had not even been turned down. He furrowed his brow, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand before glancing at the clock on her night table: 4:47am. He slipped out from under the covers and stumbled groggily across the room, opening the door and slowly heading down the hall. Before he could even check Katie's room, he saw the glow down the stairs. He shook his head with a bit of a smirk, then headed down the steps and into the living room. There was his wife, curled up under a blanket on the couch, her computer across her lap, her fingers moving quickly over the keys. "You have any idea what time it is?" he asked, dipping down to place a kiss on the top of her head, his voice hoarse and still laced with sleep.

"Late. Um, actually, I guess early," she replied absent-mindedly, continuing to type.

Don looked at the screen, his eyes moving to the page count at the bottom of the Word document that was her novel. "Jesus." She was up over three hundred and fifty pages. He had just come off a rotation of nights the day before and knew he had some catching up to do, but by his calculations, he was now over a hundred and twenty pages behind. "You slept at all this week?"

"Just a second. I'm almost done."

Don walked to the opposite end of the couch and slumped down, drawing her legs up over his lap. He rested his head back and closed his eyes while he waited for Noli to finish her thought. He had every intention of raising his concerns once she was ready to give him her full attention. Not that he was unhappy that she was obviously feeling creative and apparently making tremendous progress on her book, but for her to have written so much in the past few days, it meant she had not been getting much sleep. They had been like two ships passing in the night all week because of his hours, and he had evidently failed to notice how much pain she must be in for it to be keeping her up until all hours.

In spite of himself, Don dozed off, waking with a start at the sound of Noelle snapping her laptop shut, the clock on the PVR now reading 5:24am. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at his wife, quirking an eyebrow. "Must've been quite a thought."

"No, I wanted to finish."

"What do you mean finish?"

"My book. I'm done. But I refused to write 'The End' on the last page. Figured that might be jinxing things a little since Jason hasn't read most of the last hundred pages."

Don shook his head, sure he must still be half asleep and that was why his brain was not processing things correctly. "You can't be done"

She laughed softly at his incredulity. "Apparently I can, because it's done, Donnie."

"You didn't think you'd finish until March or April," he pointed out, still in disbelief.

Noelle shrugged. "I don't argue with my muse. I can't wait for you to read this. Do you think you'll have some time today?"

He nodded, but then narrowed his eyes as he studied her. "Have you slept at all the past few days?"

"Sure. Here and there. Hmm. Katie's gonna be up in a couple hours. I should get some coffee." She moved her laptop onto the coffee table and went to get up, but was stopped by her husband's hand on her arm.

"Christ, Nol, you need to sleep. Why don't you go on up to bed, all right? I'll set the alarm and get up with Katie and get Tony off to school."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're _not_ okay. You just wrote almost half of your novel in a week. And that's in between taking care-a two kids because I've been pulling nights. You been taking your meds?"

She hesitated for a moment then shook her head slowly.

"Damn it, Noli."

"They make me foggy. It's hard to write."

"Baby, it's not like you're under a deadline here. You need to take care of yourself. The meds will take the edge off and let you sleep."

"Donnie, they're not helping anymore. They don't knock me out anymore. They just make me feel loopy and I don't sleep, and then I'm left feeling dazed. I can't feel like that around Katie. I'd be afraid to be alone with her."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Donnie, it's okay. I just channeled everything into the book. And look, now it's done. Can't we celebrate that?"

He ran his hands through his hair. "I'm calling Dr. Langdon's office later. See if she can give you something else, something that might actually help. You can't keep doing this for the next five weeks until your surgery."

"You think I haven't already done that? Give me some credit, Don." She sat back, crossing her arms almost defiantly.

"You're gettin' defensive because I'm worried about you?"

"I'm getting defensive because you act as if I'm not taking this seriously."

"Well, honestly, I don't think you do. You take care of everyone else without giving yourself a second thought. But this i_s_ serious, Nol. You worry about takin' care of Katie when you're dazed from the meds? What about when you're sleep-deprived and in pain?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I would _never_ do anything to endanger our daughter."

"I'm not suggesting you would. But – Damn it, Noelle, you can't keep acting like nothing's wrong. There's a difference between staying positive and strong and living in denial. If you don't start taking care of yourself, you're gonna make yourself sick or worse."

She stood up, shaking her head. "I just finished my novel, Donnie. My first book. It's done! Can't we just focus on that?"

"You think I'm not proud of you for that?" He stood, running his hands over his face in frustration. "Sweetheart, I am thrilled you finished your book. But that doesn't change our reality here."

"What do you want me to do? Just give in? Curl up in a ball and check out on our family for the next five weeks until I have this surgery?"

"No, I want you to acknowledge that there _are_ limitations here. I want you to accept that you can't do everything on your own and that maybe being so damn stubborn and defiant isn't necessarily the best way to handle all of this. I'm happy you finished your book, Nol, but I'd feel a hell of lot better if your eyes weren't blood-shot and you weren't practically shaking from the fact that you haven't slept in the past week. Coffee's the last thing you need right now. You need to sleep and to quit worrying about what taking care of yourself is gonna mean to everyone else. Would you just let yourself be selfish?"

Noelle diverted her gaze, wrapping her arms around herself.

Don walked over so he was standing right in front of her, stepping into her personal space so she had no choice but to acknowledge him. He reached down and tilted her chin up so she was forced to meet his eyes. "Talk to me here, babe. 'Cause I'm worried."

She hesitated for a moment.

"Nol…"

"I'm scared, Donnie."

"Of what? 'Cause you know I'm not goin' anywhere."

"I'm afraid the surgery won't work. That this is it and…" She took a breath. "You've been incredibly patient and understanding. I mean, the trip to Mexico? And picking up the slack around here when things are bad, without one complaint, despite having pulled a double or a triple or the brass breathing down your neck. Katie doesn't seem to fight anymore if we shuffle her off to my parents or yours. Tony gives up weekends to babysit. That's all well and good, honey, but it's because there's this light at the end of the tunnel. But what if there's not? I had the hysterectomy because I'd already had this surgery three times before and each time it was less and less effective. So what happens if it doesn't fix things this time? What happens if this becomes our life?"

"We don't know what's gonna happen, doll. We just deal with whatever gets thrown at us. And if that's what happens, then we'll roll with the punches like we always have. But look, the situation's different now. We've both done the reading. There's always the small chance of recurrence after a hysterectomy, but the chances then drop substantially after any subsequent excision. The odds are on our side."

"But if they're not?"

Don put his arms around his wife and pulled her close. For a while, he just held her against him. It was not really that surprising that she would start to worry about these things as her surgery got closer. All through December, they had the Holidays to anticipate, to keep her busy and to give Katie and Tony something to look forward to. But since Don and Noelle had returned from Mexico, Katie had become quite clingy, and otherwise, life had returned to whatever their definition of normal was. As January wore on, there was nothing for Noelle to await other than a procedure the held her future in its hands. A procedure, like she said, that had previously failed her.

Noelle sniffled away tears that had started to burn in her tired eyes and pulled away from her husband. She moved over to the oversized armchair, sitting down and curling up. "I am so tired of being this woman you have to constantly reassure. That's not who I am, Donnie. And I know I'm being irrational. I just – I can't help the what if's. This past week, I just used my writing as a distraction and it worked, kind of anyway. And I have to say, it's some of the best stuff I've ever written. But now I've got five weeks to sit here and wonder if I've cursed you and Tony and Katie with this life that's so far away from the one you signed up for. It's not fair!"

Flack walked over and crouched down in front of her. "No, it's not fair. You're right. But I'm going to make it my personal mission for the next five weeks to keep you distracted, 'cause I don't want you dwelling on what if's, baby. There's no point. It'll just drive you insane."

"I am a very lucky woman to have someone like you."

He flashed her his dimpled grin. "How 'bout we call it even?" He leaned up and kissed her gently.

Noelle cupped his face in her hands and kissed him back languidly. When they came up for air, she rested her forehead against his. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You always manage to put everything into perspective, and to snap me out of it when I'm going crazy."

"We balance each other out, doll. How many times have I come home after a rough tour only to have you know just when to hold me or when to talk."

She bit her lip. "I, uh – I think I'll go upstairs and see if I can get some sleep."

Don grazed her forehead lightly with his lips. "Sounds like a plan. C'mon. I'll lay down with you 'til Katie gets up."

It was mid-afternoon when Noelle roused. Obviously, her body had known better than her mind what she needed. She had a hot shower and dressed in a pair of faded jeans and one of Don's old Academy hoodies, despite the fact that she was swimming in it, before she padded downstairs. Her damp hair was pulled up in a messy bun, her face clear of any make up, and she seemed like a different woman than the one who had stood in that room nine hours earlier.

Noli found her husband seated on the couch with her laptop in front of him, his eyes fixed on the screen. Katie was colouring at her play table nearby and babbling away to Rocco who was stretched out beside her. "Hey, you two."

Katie looked up with a bright smile. "Mommy! Daddy say you s'eeping so I dwaw you pic'sure. But I not done yet."

Noelle smiled broadly at her daughter, touched at the gesture. "That's very sweet, honey. I'll wait patiently for you to finish, all right?"

"'Kay, Mommy. Bu' you stay here."

Noelle nodded and walked over to the sofa, sitting down next to Don. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw what had gripped his attention on the computer screen – her novel. "Hey." She kissed his cheek.

"Nol, you weren't kidding. This is some of the best stuff you've ever written. You sent this to Jason yet?"

"No. I wanted you to read it first."

"It's amazing, doll. You should send it off to him 'cause this needs to be in print."

"How 'bout we wait to see if you agree once you reach the end?"

He turned and looked up at her, his eyebrows raised, a smile playing on his face. "There a twist coming up?"

She shrugged.

"You're evil. I've still got like a hundred pages here."

She smirked. She leaned over and kissed him quickly, then stood up. "I need some coffee."

"Whoa, so what, not even a hint?"

"What's the fun in that?"

He shook his head. He studied her for a moment then. "How're you feeling?"

"Uh, emotionally, a thousand times better since you basically cuffed me upside the head this morning."

"But? And no sugar coating, Nol."

"Pain's bad. So now that I've finished this, you're going to have to come through with that promise of distraction."

"I'll see what I can do," he promised.

With that, she turned and headed into the kitchen for her caffeine fix.

With a groan, Don returned to reading his wife's work, part of him itching to hit Control+End to find out what twist she had thrown into the mix, while the other part of him knew the anticipation would be worth it. Depending on the curveball she had thrown, he was wondering if a sequel was possible and worth suggesting as a means of channeling her energy.

"Daddy?"

He glanced up from the screen a few minutes later to find his daughter standing there at the end of the table, looking up at him expectantly. "Hey, cutie, what's up?"

"Mommy have a secwet?" she asked.

He laughed softly, setting the laptop on the coffee table and pulling his little girl up onto his knee. "I guess you could say that. Mommy finished her book last night but she won't tell me how it ends."

"Oh." She furrowed her brow, not understanding what that meant.

Don ruffled her hair and hugged her tightly. "I think your mommy could really use a hug, even more than that pretty picture you've been drawing. You wanna go give her one with me?"

Katie nodded with a grin. "I like hugs!"

"You do, huh? Me, too. C'mon." He stood with his beautiful little girl in his arms and crossed the hall into the kitchen where his wife was waiting for the coffee maker to finish. He set Katie down on her feet and watched with a smile as she raced over and threw her arms around her mother's legs, holding on with all of her might.

"I love you, Mommy!" Katie professed.

Noelle turned around and lifted her daughter up into her arms, hugging her back. She looked over at her husband and mouthed, _Thank you_, for knowing just exactly what she needed. "I love you, too, sweets. Ah, precious girl, you just made me feel a whole lot better, you know that?"

Katie pulled back and kissed Noelle's cheek. She then looked over at her dad for a moment before she glanced back her mother with a very serious expression. "You tell Daddy your secwet now, 'kay?"


	122. Changes Ahead

**A/N **Thank you to everyone who has offered words of encouragement and support during this difficult personal time. I really appreciate it. This community is a wonderful place to belong! As such, go and support your favourites by nominating and voting in the 2009 CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards! xoxoxo mustlovecat

* * *

"I hate winter," Danny complained as he approached the city's most recent crime scene in a dark corner of Central Park, his kit in hand.

Flack shook his head with a hint of a smirk. Not that he wanted to be standing in the snow either, especially considering it was one of the coldest days in what had already been a record-breaking season for sub-zero temperatures. However, he was in too good a mood and not even his best friend's glowering nor a murder could ruin it. He had been awakened an hour before his alarm that morning, but it had been his wife who had done the waking, and the methods she had used no red-blooded male would ever complain about. With the bad days outnumbering the good, he did not argue when she was feeling well enough to make love. Wake-up calls like that were definitely welcome. "You sound like Adam," he needled, emerging from his thoughts.

"Bite me." Messer set down his kit and crouched down beside the body. He then glanced up at Don for a run-down of what was known so far. From what information had already been gathered, it appeared to be a straight-up robbery gone wrong. Of course, only time and the evidence would tell for sure.

"Lucy still not sleeping?" Don asked perceptively, noticing Danny rub his eyes and that his mood still had not lifted.

Danny sighed. "She's a beautiful angel, Flack, but she's got no concept of time. And Livvie's got a cold, so she was fussing all night, too. You know how I said that once you've got two, throwing in a third ain't that much different? Yeah, I was wrong."

"How's Courtney working out?"

"Ah, man, thank God for that kid – and to Hawkes for recommending her. She's great with the twins and she's really helped Linds with unpacking and settin' everything up."

"Sorry we haven't been more help," Don apologized.

"Hey, no worries. You kiddin' me? Hansen even darkens the door and you know Linds'll toss her out. She doin' okay, though, or is she still stressing about the surgery?"

Don shrugged. "She's pushin' through. Sometimes too hard, but I've given up tryin' to tell her to take it easy. The final revisions on her book are keeping her busy, though, so that's good. We should have a firm release date by the end of the week, but it's lookin' like her novel will be in stores by the end of May."

"Seriously? Wow. Congrats, man. You know this is gonna completely change your life, right?"

Don scoffed. "It's her first novel. I mean, yeah, the money'll be nice if it sells, but it's not like we're suddenly gonna have paparazzi sittin' out on our front lawn."

"I'm not talkin' about that so much. But c'mon, she'll probably end up touring to promote the book, right? And if it starts doin' well, that means even more publicity. She could end up doin' talk shows, even just local ones. And what if someone wants to buy the rights and turn it into a movie, huh? Your wife's gonna be introduced to a whole different circle of people, and I betcha most of 'em have never even been in the same room with a real cop."

"I think you're gettin' a little ahead of yourself there, Danno. Don't get me wrong, the novel's amazing. But do you have any idea what it takes these days for a book to get noticed? Especially for a new writer? I love my wife, but I've got no allusions of her turning into some kind of overnight star. C'mon. Besides, you even know what established writers like Dan Brown or James Patterson look like?"

"Sure, Patterson was on the pilot of that new show, _Castle_. Kind of a James Garner-type if memory serves. Or maybe that was the other –"

"Okay, bad example."

"And Brown's books have been turned into multi-million dollar flicks, man. First _Da Vinci _Code, now _Angels and Demons._ The guy's everywhere. There was this special on A&E the other night—"

"Fine, fine, I get it. So, in a few years, maybe. _Maybe_. But it's not like Noli's book is gonna come out in print in May and she's suddenly gonna be invited to those stuffy A-list parties at those ridiculously trendy places in Manhattan. It doesn't work that way. And she wouldn't be interested in that kinda stuff anyway even if it did."

"Who knows? Maybe she's just never gotten the chance."

**

* * *

**

"An' I have a dog name Wocco. He was a powice doggie! He my fwiend! And Tony is my big bwother. Tony come live with Mommy and Daddy and me when he big. An' I gwow in a other mommy's tummy. I get some app' juice."

Jason Cartwright was many things. Good with children was not one of them. He sat at the kitchen table in the Flack house and listened to the little girl's rambling, praying that Noelle finished her telephone call and returned quickly. As Katie headed towards the refrigerator, he furrowed his brow. "Are you supposed to do that?" he asked.

Katie just grinned. She awkwardly opened the heavy door on the stainless steel fridge and studied the contents inside. Spotting the jar of apple juice, she stood up on her tip-toes and reached with one hand while keeping the door pushed open with the other.

"Uh, Ekaterina, I really don't think you're supposed to be doing that," Jason said, shaking his head and jumping to his feet. He crossed the room and retrieved the jar for Katie, closing the refrigerator door. "Where does your mother keep the glasses?"

She pointed to an upper cupboard beside the fridge.

Jason opened the cupboard door and found a plastic cup. He filled it half-way with the juice and handed it to the little girl, returning the jar to the fridge.

She smiled, holding the cup with both hands and bringing it to her lips. "T'ank you."

"Yes, sure, you're welcome," he replied uneasily.

She took another sip of her juice then looked up at him curiously. "Daddy take me s'ating an' I have fun bu' it cold so he bwing me home. An' Mommy feel yucky sometime but I give her hugs and she feel better. An' Aunt Lindy have baby, her name Lucy. She weally little! You have baby?"

"No, I, uh – I don't have any children." Jason ran a hand through his short, blond hair.

"Why?"

_Why_? The question was why was he letting himself be interrogated by a three year old?

"Katie, sweetheart, there you are. You're not supposed to be bothering Mr. Cartwright," Noelle chastised, looking at her editor apologetically as she returned to the kitchen.

"It's not a problem," Jason said with a charming smile.

The little girl furrowed brow. How come he was suddenly smiling?

"Katie, can you take your juice and go back into the living room to finish your picture? Can you do that for me, please?"

Katie nodded obediently at her mother. She held her juice cup against her chest with one hand so she could wave with the other at Jason, then used both hands again to hold on tightly as she crossed the kitchen and headed back to the living room.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect the call to be that long," Noelle explained as she and Jason sat back down at the table.

"I hope everything's all right?"

"Uh, not really. My specialist's going to Germany to speak at some conference so they just bumped my surgery two weeks." Noelle took a deep breath, then looked at the pages sitting on the table. "So, where were we again?"

"Listen, Noelle, if you'd rather, we can finish this some other day. We've got time."

"No, it's fine."

He nodded with a smile. "Good. You know, this actually may work out to our advantage. I mean, there will be cover art for you to approve and we need to set up a photo shoot for the back of the book jacket…If we can get all of that done _before _your surgery, we might even be able to push up the release date by a few weeks."

"Really?"

"Yes. And how long to do you expect your recovery to be? Because Elle wants to do a lot of publicity along with the release. You're a first time writer, and the best way to get the word out there is with public appearances and book signings. Right now, we're also looking into having advance copies sent to some very established authors for some reviews. And of course, Elle knows everyone who's anyone. If we can get you written up in _People _or –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Jason, this is all sounding just a little surreal. It's my first book. Nobody knows who I am. Why would Elle want to invest so much in this? And who would even care to come see me at an appearance?"

"Listen to me. Elle, she believes in you. So do I. Come on, this book is amazing. It's the best writing I have seen from a first-time novelist in years and it is going to take you places. My prediction? You're going to make the New York Times Bestseller's list within three months. So I hope you're ready for everything to change."

She sat back in her chair, completely overwhelmed. "I'm a mom and a cop's wife. I write because it makes me happy, but that's not how I define myself. So I don't know what kind of change you're talking about but I'm not –"

"Noli, there's a whole other world that's about to open itself up to you. You just have to be open to it."

She took a deep breath. "You and Elle are the experts, so I'm completely at your mercy here. Whatever you think is best, I mean, of course I'm going to listen. Just – Can you please not call me Noli?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It just kind of slipped out."

"It's just – That's what Don calls me." She stood up and walked across the kitchen to the coffee maker, refilling the cup she had emptied an hour before. "You really think my book's going to make the bestseller's list?"

"A million copies, no question. We do have to get the word out, but the book's going to sell itself. And I don't know if you were thinking about this when you were writing, but the story lends itself very well to film."

"Please."

"You think Alice Sebold didn't think the same thing about _The Lovely Bones_? Noelle, it was _her_ first novel. Now she's got Mark Wahlberg and Susan Sarandon bringing two of her characters to life. You need to start thinking about who would make a perfect Alexa or Max."

Hours later, Noelle was reading to Katie when Don walked in through the front door, exhausted after chasing down leads all day in the Central Park murder. He locked away his badge and gun then ambled into the living room, smiling wearily at the scene of his wife holding their daughter on her lap, the words of _Goodnight Moon_ rolling off her tongue in a soothing cadence. "How're my two favourite girls?" he greeted.

Katie was half-asleep and gave her father a half-hearted wave.

"Hi, honey. There's a plate in the microwave if you're hungry," Noelle replied.

"You're too good to me."

"Remember that when I'm jetting around the world promoting my book. You should hear all the plans that Jason and Elle have for me. I'm not sure if I'm about to become Noelle Flack, published novelist, or Noelle Flack, Paris Hilton wannabe."

Don quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, and Tony's got a new crush."

Flack chuckled. "That's my boy."

"Her name is Candice. She's – get this – a sophomore. Her father is in _no_ way affiliated with the FDNY or the NYPD. _And_, he asked if you or I could drive them to the movies this weekend if he asked her out. I made an executive decision and said 'yes.' I hope that's okay."

"Of course." Don nodded at Katie. "She's out. Why don't you go tuck her in while I eat, then I wanna hear all about these grand plans Jason and Elle have for your book."

Fifteen minutes later, Noelle joined her husband at the kitchen table. She relayed to him everything Jason had foreseen for the next few months. "I don't know," she said. "I mean, of course I want the book to sell. But I don't know anything about self-promotion. I have no _interest_ in self-promotion."

"We both knew this was part of the deal."

"I know. I just – I'm Noelle. I'm Katie's and Tony's mom and your wife. What's so interesting about that?"

Don leaned over and kissed her gently. "I happen to think you're very interesting. And so will the rest of the world. You know, baby, the fact that Carmichael is so into promoting this book means they think it's going to do very well for them. That's a good thing, Noli."

"It just feels like our lives are about to change. And I'm not so such I'm ready for that."

Flack remembered Danny's earlier pronouncement. And then he shook his head. Maybe Messer was not so far off base about things changing, but Don was even more confident about his wife not being seduced by whatever else might come along with her success. "If our life changes, it'll be for the better, baby. In a few months, you're going to be Noelle Flack, published author. People are gonna be able to walk into Barnes and Noble or Borders and pick up copies of _your_ book, probably from some large display right in the front of the store."

She could not help but smile a little as everything started to sink in.

"It's your time to shine, doll. Just hang on tight and enjoy the ride. And you know what the best part is? I get to go along for the ride right there with ya."

"Just don't let go, all right?"

"Ah, sweetheart, not a chance. Besides, you ever done body shots with a bottle of Dom?"

"You want to waste a bottle of Dom Perignon on body shots?" she mused.

He leaned over and nuzzled her neck, eliciting a sigh. "Since when is it a waste when I get to lick somethin' off your skin, doll?"

She moaned as his tongue grazed her earlobe. "I think I can do this now."

"Yeah? Good, 'cause I'm seein' that there are some distinct advantages to bein' married to a famous writer."

"And here I thought you were using me all along for my body when what you're really after was my fame and fortune."

Don smirked. "Actually, I was after your brilliant mind. I needed someone who could help my kids with both their algebra homework _and _figurin' out Shakespeare."

"Oh, well, now I feel kind of bad because _I've _really just been using _you _for your body."

"So _that's_ why ya woke me up at five thirty this morning," he teased her. "How 'bout we go upstairs and you can use me some more?"

Noelle's face coloured as she noticed his eyes darken. "And you say _I'm_ the one with the brilliant mind."


	123. The OR

**A/N Wow! 900 reviews. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for those who have offered support and prayers the past few days, and for those who continue to read and review. **_**When You're Not Looking**_** has been a lovely distraction for me the past week (well, the past year and a half if we're being honest) and I'm happy people are still as much in love with Flack and Noelle as I am. Thanks also to those who have been showing their support through nominations over at the CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards. Whoever your favourites are, don't forget to cheer 'em on over there. Just click on the Discussion Forums link on the right-hand side of the stories page, and the awards are right there at the top! You can nominate your faves until tomorrow, then vote for the front-runners until May 22****nd****. **

**Props to Melina Kanakaredes (like she's reading this) for writing 5.24 Grounds for Deception. She is apparently not only beautiful and a wonderful actress, but also a talented writer. It's just not fair LOL And Eddie Cahill, he hit it out of the park on the finale. Awesome job from TV's best cast! I'm sad that the season finale has aired, but Season 5 was fantastic and I only see great things ahead for Season 6. Until then…**

* * *

The day had finally arrived, the one he had both been anticipating and dreading. Noelle's surgery was supposed to take about ninety minutes, then after a couple hours in recovery, Don would be able to take her home. The kids were settled in at Jump and Maggie's and the plan was for them to stay there for at least the next few days. Don had taken a week of vacation so he could take care of his wife and give her his undivided attention. Noli's mother was then going to come stay after that to help with Katie and anything else her daughter needed assistance with around the house, since lifting and any other strenuous activity would be prohibited until at least after her three-week follow-up appointment.

Don had done his best to stay positive over the past few weeks, to reassure his wife when it seemed she needed it, and to keep her distracted when that was what she required. But now that Noelle was in the O.R. and he did not have to be strong for her anymore, he was feeling himself give in to the fears he had been doing his best to hide and deny. He knew Noelle was terrified that the surgery was not going to work, and the truth was, so was he. This had been their life for the past five months, but there had always been an end in sight. And now, he _needed_ this surgery to be successful. Not because it would make their lives easier, but because he could not take watching the woman he loved suffer anymore. While there were days when things were almost normal – when she felt well enough to laugh and play with Katie, to explain the nuances of William Shakespeare to Tony, and to make love with Don for hours until they were both exhausted and aching in that way that made you want to do it all over again – there had been more days where he watched helplessly as his wife barely made it out of bed, nights when all he could do was hold her or hold a hot water bottle against her abdomen or rub her back while he whispered words of comfort or regaled her with stories to keep her from crying in agony. He did not want that to be her life. She deserved so much more than that. No, what he wanted was for her to have all good days. He wanted her to be able to enjoy everything that was about to happen for her once her book was published.

Don continued to pace across the waiting room, not caring that he was probably making the other people in the room who were waiting for word on their own family members nervous. He glanced at his watch with a furrowed brow, knowing that Noelle should be out of surgery half an hour ago and that the doctor should have already emerged to tell him everything had gone well. He had spent enough time in hospitals for worst-case scenarios to start running through his mind. And he had done too much reading in the weeks leading up to today to know about all of the possible complications that could occur. He always told his wife not to dwell on the what if's, but it was a different story when she was in an O.R. and he had no clue what was happening. All he did know was that if _anything_ ever happened to Noelle, he was not sure how he would survive.

He was distracted from his thoughts by the vibrating of his phone against his hip. He pulled the cell off his belt and glanced at the call display, walking a few feet away to the corner of the room. "Hey, Danno."

"Flack. How'd the surgery go?" Danny asked.

"She's still in there. I don't know what's goin' on."

Messer was silent for a moment. "I, uh – I'm sure everything's fine, right? I mean, who can ever predict how long these things are gonna take?"

While Don did not detect a lot of conviction in his best friend's tone, he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. "Right." He sighed, then sat down in one of the hard, plastic chairs. "Jesus, this waiting is like some kind of torture."

"Things are quiet. I'm sure Mac wouldn't mind if I came down there to wait with you for a while," he offered.

"Thanks, man, but…" Don felt his breath catch as Dr. Langdon walked into the waiting room, looking around for him. "Something's wrong."

"What?"

"Doc's here. Something's wrong. I'll, uh – I'll call you back." Don disconnected the call and stood as Dr. Langdon spotted him and walked over. "What's happening with Noli?"

"Why don't you sit down, Detective," the doctor suggested gently, her face betraying the fact that she was not about to deliver the news he was hoping for. Don was well-versed in reading people and knew she was not about to tell him all was well.

He shook his head. "I'll stand. Just tell me what the hell's wrong with my wife."

"The, uh – The endometriosis was very wide-spread and not just in her pelvic area which made things very challenging. Unfortunately, some of the tissue had infiltrated the right diaphragm as well as the pleural cavity, and while we were removing it, there was a complication."

"What kind of complication?"

"Her right lung collapsed, which required the insertion of a chest tube. It's an unusual complication but –"

"How could this happen?" Don railed. "If you had done your job years ago during the hysterectomy…" He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. Sorry."

The doctor took a breath, letting him calm down. She looked at him sympathetically, understanding his concern and frustration. "It's okay. Look, Detective, it was an unexpected complication, but we were able to treat it and finish the procedure. She's in recovery now, and she's stable. She'll need to be admitted for a couple days, so we can keep on eye on her lung, but I expect that she'll make a full recovery."

"So she's okay? Just tell me that she's okay."

Dr. Langdon nodded. "Yes, she's going to be fine. It might just take longer than we were expecting. And I expect she'll be very sore. Not just from the collapsed lung, but I spent longer than I expected with the laser removing the tissue. I'll be honest, I've never seen a case this severe post-hysterectomy."

Don ran a hand over his face. "What does that mean? I mean, long-term?"

"The chances of a second recurrence after a hysterectomy are very slim. Unfortunately, as you know, Noelle's always been a tough case. But she had over three years with no problems and I expect that if there is any recurrence, she'll have at least that again."

"I, uh – I want to see her."

"Of course. They're just going to monitor her in recovery for a while longer then we'll move her to her own room. I'll have someone come out and take you there as soon as she's settled, all right? In the meantime, there will be some paperwork since we need to admit her. Would you like me to arrange to have that taken care of now while you're waiting?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He watched the doctor walk away, then he slumped back down on the hard chair. He fought back tears, relieved that it was over.

For a moment, he just sat there sending up silent prayers of thanks that Noelle was out of the operating room and she was going to be all right. Then he remembered the abrupt end to his conversation with Danny. He called his best friend back and filled him in on everything. Messer offered his support and said that he and Lindsay would be by the hospital later. Don thanked him, then took a deep breath and made the call he was dreading, to his in laws. Sarah and Jack had wanted to be there, but since it was just supposed to be a day surgical procedure, he had suggested they just relax at home and he would call once she was out of the O.R. He now felt a little guilty. Of course, Jack was upset by the news of this unexpected complication and the need to have his daughter admitted. He said that he and Sarah would be right over, once they had called Mark to let him know. Don was actually relieved for the company. He then called his own parents and relayed the news to his father.

"I talk Daddy! I talk Daddy!" he heard Katie pleading in the background.

"It's okay, Pop. Put her on."

A moment later, her daughter's little voice was greeting him over the phone. "Hi, Daddy! You an' Mommy come home now?"

"Hey, cutie. I'm sorry, but I gotta stay here a while longer, all right? Mommy, uh – Well, the doctors still need to take care of Mommy so I'm going to stay and keep her company."

"I can give her hugs and kiss and she feel all better, 'kay?"

"I know you can, sweet pea. You give really good hugs and kisses. But this time Mommy needs some medicine and a lot of rest make her better. So you know what you can do to really help her?"

"What?"

"Be a good girl and stay with your Grandpa Don and Grandma Maggie. I bet Gramps has got a lotta stories to tell ya, and if you ask him really nicely, maybe he'll even take you skating."

"'kay, Daddy. I be good an' I make Mommy a pwesent. I love you."

"Ah, cutie, I love you, too."

Half an hour later, Don was sitting at his wife's bedside. He gently held her hand in his, her other one weighted down on the other side of the bed with an I.V. "Don't try and talk, sweetheart," he said quietly.

Noelle was foggy from the morphine and other medication she had been given, along with the trauma of the surgery. She was also a little confused. She had been in this hospital multiple times before and she knew she was not on the day surgery ward where she was supposed to be, that she was in an actual room. That meant she had been admitted. She furrowed her brow, concerned as to what had gone wrong.

Reading the expression on her face, Don did his best to sound reassuring. "You're gonna be fine, doll. There was just a little complication, but Dr. Langdon says you're gonna make a full recovery."

"Complication?" she whispered, her throat raw from the airway they had put in during the operation.

He nodded. "It's no wonder you've been in pain, baby. The endo was bad. In fact, there was some tissue around your right lung and when they were removing it, your lung collapsed, so they had to put in a chest tube. They just need to keep an eye on it for a couple days. That's all. Then I get to take you home just like we planned."

She sighed. And then she quipped, "I thought…you were going to say…no more bikinis."

Don flashed his dimples, a little relieved that she was making wise-cracks. "No chance of that, doll." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, staying close. "For the record, I ain't very good at this sit around and wait thing. Nearly wore a hole in the floor in the waiting room. Think I mighta pissed a couple people off, too."

Noelle smiled weakly, her eyes heavy.

"Get some rest, baby. I'll be here when ya wake up, all right?" He kissed her cheek.

Noelle's parents arrived shortly after, while others filtered in throughout the rest of the day. Mark stopped by for a while, teasing his sister during a rare lucid moment for her that she would do anything for attention. Danny and Lindsay made separate appearances, Lindsay just spending some time sitting at Noelle's bedside and holding her best friend's hand while Don and his in laws went to get some coffee. And Hawkes popped in to check on the patient once he got off shift, having heard from Danny that she had been admitted. Don actually felt a little better after letting Sheldon look over her chart then check the site of the chest tube and see a look of approval on his face.

Don finally sent Jack and Sarah home around seven p.m. then stretched himself out on the chair, turning the TV on quietly to the Rangers game while his wife dozed, still heavily under the influence of pain medication. He was a little startled by a soft knock on the door a short while later, figuring everyone had been by who would be. He glanced up, raising his eyebrows when he saw Tony standing there with Jump.

"He insisted," Don's father explained with a proud nod.

Flack smiled at his son. "I'm glad you came, man. She's asleep right now but she'll probably wake up soon for a little while. Come in. Come in."

Tony tentatively walked into the hospital room, his brow creasing at seeing his mother in the hospital bed, still hooked up to an I.V. as well as a couple of monitors.

Don stood up and walked over to his son, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's gonna be okay. I promise."

"She was supposed to come home today," Tony replied, his brow still furrowed. "Did someone screw up?"

"No, no. Just the last thing anyone was expecting was a collapsed lung. But the doctor assured me that she's going to make a full recovery. They just want to keep an eye on her for a couple days."

Tony nodded, though he still looked upset.

"Why don't you sit with her for a few minutes while I go stretch my legs with Pop, huh?"

"Yeah, okay." Tony walked over and sat down in the chair his father had previously occupied after easing his backpack off and setting it down on the floor.

Don nodded at his father to step out into the hall with him. "What's with the backpack?" he asked Jump once they were out in the corridor.

"He brought his homework. I'm not sure you're gonna get that boy out of there anytime soon. I'm pretty sure that if I'd refused to drive him, he would have hopped on the train and come himself," Jump explained with a chuckle.

Don grinned at his son's determination. "That's a good kid. So, how'd you get out the door without Katie begging to come along, too?"

"Maggie had her distracted with some crafts. Noelle's going to have more cards and pictures than she'll know what to do with."

"She'll love that."

Jump studied his son then. "How're _you_ doing, Donnie?"

"I'm fine."

"You're a bad liar, son. Always have been."

He laughed. "That's what Noli always says. I'm okay. I just – I don't like seein' my wife in a hospital bed. And you know I hate hospitals, 'cause most of the time, I'm here 'cause of the job or because one of us has seen the wrong end of a bullet." He glanced back through the open door. "When it took forever for the doctor to come and talk to me, I had all these scenarios goin' through my head, right? And I…" He turned back and looked at his father. "I, uh – I try to be careful every time I walk out the door with my gun and shield on my belt 'cause I don't ever wanna leave Noli and the kids. But see, the thing is that I never considered that _she_ might be the one to leave. Not 'til I was pacin' in that waiting room this morning. And I gotta tell ya, Pop, I didn't like the feeling and it ain't somethin' I ever want to feel again. Nol's my life. It's not he badge anymore, it's that woman in there. And I don't wanna ever lose her, Dad."

Inside the room, Noelle stirred, opening her eyes with surprise at seeing her son sitting there. She smiled as she watched him for a moment, intently working on a math problem, before she reached over and touched his arm. "Hey."

Tony looked up from his homework. He breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Noelle awake, and he grinned. "Hi. Dad said they're makin' ya stay for a couple days. Want me to break ya outta here?" he quipped.

She started to laugh, but that turned into a cough. She grabbed her chest to calm herself.

"Sorry," Tony said worriedly. "I won't make you laugh anymore. I promise."

"It's okay," she assured him, her voice still hoarse and raspy. Noticing the look on his face, she squeezed his arm. "I'll be okay, honey."

"'Cept you weren't s'posed to have to stay here."

"Just a little…lung thing. Nothing…to worry about."

"Okay. Katie's makin' ya all this stuff. There's glitter all over the kitchen table at Jump and Maggie's."

Noli smiled.

"I'll take good care a-her, okay? I know she misses you and Dad, but I'll make sure she doesn't worry too much," Tony promised.

"You're a good brother. But I don't want _you_ to worry…so much, okay? I promise, I'm fine. Now, tell me about…school today." She coughed a couple times, then looked at him expectantly.

Jump and Tony hung around for an hour, then Noelle insisted they go home because she knew Tony had a math test in the morning. The boy gave her an overly-cautious hug then reluctantly left, promising to come back after school the next afternoon.

Don shook his head with a smile as he sat back down at his wife's bedside. "We lucked out with that one, No."

She nodded.

"You need anything? You hungry? Or thirsty? How 'bout –"

"A kiss?" she requested softly.

Don grinned. "That I can do." He leaned over and gently brushed his lips against hers. "Anything else?"

"You can go home."

His smile disappeared and his brow furrowed. "I ain't leavin'."

"What are you…gonna do? Sleep in that chair?"

"Noli, I'm not leaving. Ask me for anything else, but not that. I'm not goin' home to our empty house and sleepin' in our bed without you there. Or without our kids down the hall. So, deal with it," he replied stubbornly.

Noelle smirked. She was feeling herself being pulled under again, and she would be lying if she said she did not feel better knowing he was still going to be there when she woke up. So, she gingerly moved over to the edge of the bed, away from him, making room.

"I don't wanna hurt you," he said.

"You asked what I needed…"

Don hesitated for a moment, then he got up and moved onto the bed, laying on his side facing her so he took up less room. He gently leaned over and kissed her forehead, then stroked his fingertips down her arm. "Sleep, all right? And I promise, as soon as they give me the okay, I'll spring ya."

Noelle closed her eyes. "It worked. I…can feel it," she muttered as she slid back under.

The cynic in Flack had a hard time seeing past the chest tube and the I.V., and the monitors they had hooked up to keep watch on his wife's vitals. However, as he watched her drift off, he let himself believe that at the very least, she was not going anywhere anytime soon. "I love you, babe," he whispered as he placed a kiss against her temple.


	124. The Best Medicine

**A/N **Don't forget to vote for all of your favourites at the 2009 CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards! Polls are open through Friday. On a very personal note, thanks to all who have sent through PM's with prayers and good thoughts for my family and me. We are hanging in, though I think we are all wishing this year could just be over! My father will be undergoing what looks to be a quadruple bypass on June 23rd.

* * *

"Okay, babe, easy," Don said as he guided Noelle in through the front door.

Noelle fought the urge to fire off a scowl or roll her eyes at her husband's over protectiveness. While emerging from yet another drug-filled haze the day before, she had overheard him talking to a visiting Mac, telling him how difficult it had been pacing in the waiting room while she was in surgery, the fear that had ripped through him when the doctor had emerged with the look on her face that suggested there was something wrong. She knew that for most cops, hospitals represented the worst things they saw, and for Don, he could not help but go back to the life-threatening injuries he had sustained in the bombing years before. So she had decided to indulge his protective instincts. At least for another couple of days, until she was settled back at home and could do more than walk just a few steps on her own.

Don helped his wife into the living room, getting her set up on the couch along with the extra pillows he had brought down from their bedroom the day before when he had come home for a shower and a change of clothes. "You want something to eat?" he asked then. "Ya know, something other than Jell-O and clear fluids? I'm not above callin' Danno and seein' if he can bring over a slice from Ray's."

"No. Thanks."

He crouched down next to the couch by her head, his hand absentmindedly stroking her hair. "You sure? How 'bout some soup then? I stocked up on that tomato with Portobello ravioli that you like."

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry. My stomach's still upset."

"Probably from the drugs, huh? All right, well, I'll get you some gingerale. And here, here's the remote. If ya want me to pop in a movie for you or somethin'—"

"Don, honey, I'm okay. But I would love some gingerale." _If only to get you to stop hovering for two seconds_, she thought. It was not that she did not appreciate his attention and concern because she could not be more grateful that he loved and cared for her so much. She was just fatigued after the mere trip from the car to the couch, doped up, incredibly sore, and frustrated. Recovering was difficult enough without the added complications she had encountered during her surgery. And Don's constant hovering was a continual reminder that she was still far from being well. The doctor imploring Don to make sure his wife took it easy for the next few weeks before agreeing to release her had just been even further proof.

Flack leaned over and kissed Noelle's forehead lightly, then he headed into the kitchen. He noticed the answering machine flashing, indicating the receipt of a couple voicemails, so he hit "play" while he poured her a glass of soda.

The first message was from her brother, welcoming her home and promising to stop by the next day once she had settled in. The second had him smirking in amusement – Noelle's friend Remington railing that she had to find out about the surgery from one of the editors over at _Moda Bella, _her ire then quickly turning to concern and wishing Noelle a speedy recovery and promising to visit soon.

Returning to the living room, Don set the glass of gingerale within reach on the coffee table, then sat down on the opposite end of the couch and relayed Remy's message.

"It's hard to give her news when she's traipsing across Europe," Noelle sighed. She then smiled. "Well, I guess we're even."

"What do ya mean?"

"Oh, just that she failed to tell me about her first marriage until after her first divorce."

Don chuckled. "You know, from some of the stories you've told me, it's hard to believe you two are even friends."

She shrugged with a grin. "I don't know, but Remy got me through my first year at Sarah Lawrence. We were complete opposites, but somehow we just clicked. And you know, it's that kind of friendship where you can go months without so much as a word, but as soon as you're in the same room together, it's like no time has passed since you last saw each other. She'll get over this. Although I imagine if she knows, that means so do Bridge and Karen by now. I probably should've at least sent out an email or something. Man, it's hard to believe how far you end up drifting apart from the people you thought you'd be joined at the hip with forever."

"It happens, babe. Especially when you end up going in completely different directions."

She shifted a little in a vain attempt to get more comfortable, but just ended up scowling at the impossible task. "It's funny how things turn out. I mean, who ever would've thought that I would get myself mixed up with a cop and find some of the best friends I could ever hope to have at the same time? You know, as soon as I'm feeling better, we need to do something really nice for Dan and Linds. They have really gone above and beyond for us the past few months."

Don nodded. "So, listen, why don't ya close your eyes and try to get some rest?"

She scrunched up her nose. "It's too quiet. Donnie, I miss the kids. I even miss Rocco running up and down the stairs chasing after Katie. Can you ask your parents to bring them home once Tony's done school this afternoon?"

He took a breath. He did not want to say 'no' when it obviously was something that meant a lot to her, but he was not sure if it was the best thing for her recovery. Tony would not be a problem. Their son was pretty self-sufficient and so vigilant of his mother's condition that he would probably be as protective as Flack. Katie, on the other hand, would be all over Noelle. And if she was not bothering her mother, she would be seeking her father's attention. However, seeing the look on his wife's face, he had a feeling that _not _bringing the kids home might hinder her recovery more than help it. "I'll go call Ma."

She grinned. "Thank you."

"Just – Nol, ya gotta promise me that if it becomes too much, you let me know. I miss 'em like crazy, too, but I don't want anything settin' you back, okay? The best thing for you is still to sleep."

"I'll be good, I promise."

He laughed softly, her tone the same one Katie used when she was trying to get her way. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, I'm on it." He got up and went to walk past her to grab the cordless off the end table, but stopped when his wife's hand reached out and grasped his arm. "What?"

"Kiss me."

"Damn, woman, you're demanding as hell, you know that?" he teased her.

"Can I help it if I love my husband madly and want him close?"

"Well, when ya put it that way, who am I to say no?" He leant down and kissed her lips gently.

"That's it?" she complained when he pulled back.

"Noli…"

"I promise that I will close my eyes and go to sleep if you just kiss me once like you mean it."

He crouched down then and brushed her hair off her face, a smirk playing on his lips. "Like I mean it, huh? You mean somethin' like this?" He leaned over and kissed her again, this time quickly deepening the kiss, letting his tongue mingle with hers until they were both in dire need of oxygen. "Now sleep. And no more tryin' to bribe an officer of the law. It's an indictable offence."

"That mean you'd have to cuff me?" she asked, her tone anything but innocent.

He groaned. "It's gonna be a long three weeks," he muttered before pulling himself away and going to make the call to his parents.

Hours later, Noelle was still sound asleep on the couch and he was reading a new mystery novel when he noticed his father's SUV pull into the driveway. He got up and headed into the entryway, pulling on a pair of sneakers before he opened the door and walked out to help his dad and Tony unload the vehicle.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Katie greeted excitedly as her grandfather lifted her out of her car seat and set her feet down on the driveway.

Don crouched down and enveloped his little girl in a tight hug. "Hey there, cutie. Ah, I missed ya, Katie-bear."

"I miss you, too! And Mommy! I go see Mommy, 'kay?" she announced.

"You know somethin'? Your ma's sleeping right now. So let's get all of your stuff inside and unpacked then maybe it'll be time for her to wake up for a while, all right?"

"Bu' I wan' give her hugs. G'ampa say she no feel better yet so I help."

"Having you and Tony home is gonna help her tons, but we really need to let her rest so she can get stronger and start feeling better, okay?"

Katie finally nodded in resignation.

Don kissed her cheek, then straightened back up. He gave his son a clap on the shoulder, then the three guys unloaded the car, including Rocco, and headed inside with Katie at their heels.

Jump left soon after, and Tony took Katie upstairs with their bags and helped her unpack, trying to keep her occupied while Noelle continued to sleep and Don threw some dinner together. By the time they had finished eating, Katie was beside herself and ran off as soon as Don had lifted her down out of her booster seat, heading straight for the living room.

She slowed her steps as she entered the room, almost tip-toeing over to the couch. She took in her sleeping mother, furrowing her brow. "Mommy," she whispered loudly.

"You want me to take her upstairs?" Tony offered as he and Don reached the doorway.

"Nah, you know, it's okay. It's already well past time for her meds. And I know she's gonna be thrilled to see you guys. It's okay, Katie."

Katie grinned and tapped her mother's shoulder gently. "Mommy, wake up," she said, not nearly as quietly as before. "Mommy?"

Noelle started rousing, her brow creasing as she woke and got her bearings, becoming conscious of the pain. However, she quickly pushed the discomfort aside as well as she could when she saw her little girl standing there with a bright smile on her face. "Katie..."

"Hiya! G'ampa bwought Tony and Wocco and me an' Daddy say we stay now. You all better?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm getting there, sweet pea. Especially now."

"I give you hugs, 'kay?"

"Katie, Katie, ya gotta be gentle," Don said a little worriedly.

"How 'bout a kiss," Noelle suggested instead, knowing one of Katie's bear hugs would probably result in the little girl trying to climb up onto the couch with her mom.

Katie nodded and quickly bestowed a kiss on her mother's cheek.

"I'll get your meds, babe," Don said, heading into the kitchen for a glass of water and her pain medication.

Tony moved further into the living room, into his mother's line of sight. "You sure it's okay we came home?" he asked, his tone laced with concern.

"Are you kidding? This is the best medicine," she replied honestly.

"Mommy, we pway Candyland?" Katie requested.

"You know something, sweetheart? I don't really think I'm quite up for that yet. But your brother told me that you made me something and I think I even heard there was some glitter involved. Can I see it?"

Katie's eyes lit up. "I dwaw you pic'sures and G'amma help me w'ite in a card. It say –"

"Hey, squirt, why don't ya get it for your ma so she can read it for herself?" Tony suggested.

"Okay. I go. Bu' Mommy, you stay here."

Noelle laughed softly at the innocent request. "Okay, sweetheart, I'll stay right here. I promise."

Katie took off at full speed and headed up to her bedroom where she had left the presents she had made for her mother.

Meanwhile, Don returned and helped Noelle sit up enough to swallow her pills.

As she settled back down, she implored Tony to tell her about his day, and just reveled in the normalcy as he talked about an experiment they had done in his chemistry class and the pop quiz his teacher had given in history.

"I did okay. It was on the French Revolution and I got a couple of the dates mixed up," he explained. "But I did better than John. He thought Napoleon's last name was Dynamite."

"Okay, you need to tell that kid to stop renting movies to study for tests," Don quipped.

Katie returned then with her arms full of artistic masterpieces. She proudly showed her mother each picture before handing her the card that looked like it had swallowed a bottle of blue glitter. "Open it, Mommy!"

Noelle complied, opening the card, tears filling her eyes at the words messily printed inside (dictated, she knew, by Maggie), some with letters backwards or upside down, but the message still clear: _To the_ _best Mommy in the world. I love you_. "This is the most beautiful card anyone has ever given me," she said, looking at her daughter and knowing that bringing the kids back home was absolutely the best thing for her.

Katie smiled proudly. "I dwaw more pic'sures, 'kay?"

"I would love that."

"'kay, Mommy. Daddy say you s'eep lots so you get better. So you go s'eep now. I be quiet. Daddy and Tony, too. I make sure."

Tony could not quite stifle an amused scoff. "All right, princess. C'mon. I'll help you put your pajamas on then we'll read a story before I finish my homework, okay?"

"Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindy give me new book. We wead that one?" she requested.

"Sure, princess. Come on."

Katie gingerly leaned over and gave Noelle a big kiss. "Go s'eep now. 'Night, Mommy."

"Goodnight, pumpkin. I love you."

Tony gave his mother a cautious hug, then took his little sister upstairs to put her to bed.

Left alone, Don shook his head a little incredulously. "How the hell did we end up with two kids that great?"

Noelle smiled. "We got lucky."

"Yeah. I keep hopin' someone somewhere doesn't clue in and realize we got the wrong ones or something." He looked at his wife then, noticing her cringe a little as she shifted. "Well, you heard Dr. Flack. You need to sleep."

"I don't think I can handle the stairs," she said a little dejectedly.

"I wasn't about to let you even try, doll. We'll get ya all set up right here, okay? I'll just go get you something else to sleep in."

"I wanted to sleep beside you, though."

"Hey, baby, we got all the time in the world. Right now, you need to be comfortable and I know that me even carrying you up the stairs will probably hurt too bad. You just need to heal."

She took a deep breath, it still a bit of an effort after the collapse of her lung and the chest tube. "Thank you for bringing Katie and Tony home."

"You were right. I think it's the best thing for you. But listen, you never did eat anything. Can I at least make you some toast or something before you go back to sleep?"

She considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. A slice with strawberry jam?"

"You got it. The meds kicking in yet?"

"Starting to."

"Then I better hustle before you pass out on me again." He turned to go.

"Donnie?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Just so you know: once I'm back on my feet, I have every intention of showing you just how much I appreciate you taking such good care of me."

Don flashed his dimples. He headed into the kitchen to fix his wife her snack, then decided that once she was settled, he was going to go jump in the shower – a long, cold shower.


	125. The First Edition

**A/N **Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who voted for me at the CSI:NY Fanfiction Awards!!! "When You're Not Looking" won for Best Mini-Epic and came in second for Best Flack/OC Story, Don and Noelle shared runner up honours with Sam and Flack (Brown-Eyed Girl 75) for Best Flack/OC Pairing, and Joseph Alvarez was runner up for Best Bad Guy. Thanks also to those who voted one of my one-shots, "Not Alone", Best Friendship Story. I am completely overwhelmed. I'll do my best to continue to live up to your expectations!

* * *

"Uncle Danny?"

Danny looked up from the microscope at his young charge, sitting just a couple feet away from him on the counter in the Trace Lab. "What's up, squirt?"

Katie furrowed her brow very pensively. "Wocco need a girlfwiend," she announced.

Danny broke out laughing, but quickly sobered when he saw the determined look on the little girl's face. "You think so, huh?"

"Tony has a girlfwiend now. Her name is Can'ice. An' Mommy loves Daddy, and Aunt 'Tella loves Uncle Mac, and you an' Aunt Lindy –"

"Yeah, I got it, kid. But ya know something? I think Rocco is probably okay. He has a very busy job protecting you and your mama."

"Bu' he lonely."

"You're his best friend, I doubt he's lonely. Besides, _I _think he would probably be jealous if there was another dog around. Because then you wouldn't play with him so much because the other dog would need attention, too."

Katie considered. "Oh." She scrunched up her nose. "Wha' 'bout Adam and Uncle Shelly?"

"What about them, squirt?"

"_They_ need girlfwiends."

Danny smirked. "Now _that_ I don't disagree with, kiddo."

"We s'ould find 'em girlfwiends then they be happy!"

Messer shook his head a little. "You're too smart for your own good, sweetheart. But ya know, I think we gotta leave that up to them."

"We get one for Mommy's fwiend, too."

"Which friend?"

"Jason. I don' like him."

Danny furrowed his brow. "Who's Jason?"

Katie shrugged.

"All right, well, why don't you like this guy?" he asked a little worriedly.

"He smile at Mommy."

Danny was not quite sure he followed the little girl's logic. "Well, _I _smile at your mama sometimes. You like me, though, right?"

Katie looked at him as though he had three heads. "You silly, Uncle Danny!"

Before Danny could interrogate the little girl any further, Don strode into the lab, grinning at the sight of his daughter. "There's my girl!"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Katie greeted, holding out her arms for him to pick her up.

Flack obliged, lifting his daughter up into his arms and kissing her cheek. "Were you good for your uncle Danny?"

She nodded.

"Of course, she was an angel," Danny agreed.

"Thanks again for watching her, man."

"Hey, anytime. You know I love hangin' out with my junior lab assistant here. We lifted some prints and now – What are we doin' again, Katie?"

Katie thought for a moment and then she smiled as she remembered. "We wooking to see what Aunt 'Tella foun'."

"Atta girl. Gimme five!"

Katie grinned and gave him a high five with her little hand.

Don chuckled. "It sounds like you've been working hard, cutie. How 'bout we go get some ice cream before we go home?"

Her eyes widened. "We have choc'late on a waffa cone!"

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

"Oh, hey, 'fore you go, who's Jason?" Danny asked curiously.

"Who?"

"Friend of Hansen's?"

Don furrowed his brow. "Her editor? That's the only Jason I know of. Why?"

Danny just shrugged. "Katie thinks all the single guys we know need girlfriends. She mentioned Adam and Hawkes, then this Jason guy. Oh, and Rocco."

Flack laughed. "You're playin' matchmaker, are ya, cutie? Well, sweetheart, sometimes things just happen when they're supposed to. That's what happened with me and your mommy."

"You love Mommy!" Katie observed.

He grinned broadly. "Better believe it. Now, c'mon, we should let your uncle Danny get back to work. Can you say thank you to him for taking such good care of you and for actually keepin' ya in the Lab this time?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Once. It happened once."

"T'ank you, Uncle Danny. I love you!"

"Aw, I love ya too, kid. You can come back and be my assistant anytime, all right?" He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then watched as Don carried her away. Left alone, he thought for a moment about what Katie had said about Jason. The kid had an active imagination, but she was also more perceptive than half the detectives he worked with. Was there a chance that Noelle's editor had more than just a professional interest in her? He shook his head. Even if it was true, the guy would be wasting his time. Next to him and Lindsay, he could not think of two people more committed to each other than Hansen and Flack. However, as Don's best friend, maybe it was worth checking out…

**

* * *

**Lindsay watched with concern as her best friend slowly made her way back to the living room after letting her in through the front door, each one of Noelle's steps betraying that even in her third week of recovery, she was still uncomfortable. Linds made a quick detour into the kitchen to retrieve a couple of plates, then joined Noli in the living room. "You'll hear about it later, so I might as well tell you that I railed at Flack when I heard he'd left you alone today."

Noelle sighed from her spot on the couch as Linds took a seat on the armchair. "It's not his fault my mother made plans long before my surgery got bumped and things got complicated. I mean, I was supposed to be running marathons by now," she quipped.

"But you're still recovering, and you're supposed to be taking it easy. And I can tell you're still in a lot of pain, sweetie."

"I won't deny any of the above. But I'm also fully capable of getting myself to the kitchen and to the bathroom, and I've had the phone within reach the whole time. It's just one day, anyway, and in Don's defense, he fought me for a long time on it. And he did take Katie with him."

"Yeah, she was in Trace with Danny when I left."

"See? _And, _I'm not alone anymore, am I? Now, please tell me those are cheeseburgers in that bag there. My appetite's finally back and I'm sick of all the healthy crap Donnie's been feeding me."

Lindsay smirked then and produced two cheeseburgers from Noelle's favourite burger joint.

For a while, the two friends ate in silence. That was until Lindsay noticed a bouquet of yellow roses up on the mantle. "Those are pretty. I can't remember the last time Danny brought me flowers," she sighed.

"The roses? Oh, those aren't from Don. Jason sent them," Noli replied.

"Your editor?"

"Yeah. An arrangement came from _Moda Bella _the first week, but he sent those yesterday after I'd emailed and said I still wasn't feeling well." She took another bite of her burger, then quirked an eyebrow when she noticed the expression on her best friend's face. She swallowed, then asked, "What?"

"Jason's sending you roses? You don't think that's strange?"

"You and Danny sent me flowers. So did Sheldon. And Mac and Stella…You want me to go on? You have surgery, you get flowers. Personally, I think it's a waste of money since I seem to have a penchant for killing them, but I do appreciate the sentiment."

Lindsay could not deny Noelle's point. However, somehow it still struck her as weird.

They finished their late lunch together and chatted, the topic as usual moving to their kids and husbands, until they were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Noelle furrowed her brow.

"Stay where you are. I got it," Lindsay assured her. She got up and headed into the foyer, opening the front door to a FedEx delivery man. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I got a package here for a Noelle, uh – Flack?"

"Sure, I'll sign for it." Lindsay signed and took the package, shutting the door and quirking an eyebrow when she saw Carmichael Publishing in the top left-hand corner. She smiled then, realizing what it was that she was probably holding in her hand.

Instead of returning to the living room, the CSI headed into the kitchen to grab a knife, then she re-joined her friend, almost unable to contain her excitement.

"Oh, thank God. No more flowers," Noelle sighed with a smile.

"No, this is a million times better than flowers if it's what I think it is. Trust me."

"Why? Who's it from?"

"Carmichael. It's your book, isn't it?" Linds asked.

Noelle grinned, her friend's excitement quickly becoming contagious. "I – I don't know. Oh, my gosh, open it!"

Lindsay complied eagerly, using the knife to slice the cardboard open. The curiosity of both women was quickly satisfied as she pulled a hardcover book from inside the box, along with a note. She handed the note off to her best friend as she looked at the novel – in her hands, in print, Noelle's name on the front and her picture on the inside back jacket.

Noelle read over the brief note from Jason: _Hopefully this will make you feel a little better. Circle May 3__rd__ on your calendar: The Plaza Hotel at 7:00pm, your release party. You're going to be a star_! She looked up at her friend, still standing there with the book in her hands, but now she noticed that Lindsay was flipping through the pages. "What are you doing?"

"You refused to send me the last chapter. I'm looking to see what happens. And if you killed Max—"

"I didn't kill Max," Noli assured her with a laugh.

"Don said there was a twist."

"If I promise to let you read the last chapter, will you let me see my novel for a moment?"

Lindsay released a dramatic sigh but then smiled proudly and handed the hardcover book to Noli.

Noelle's disbelief was immense. She still could not believe that she had even finished writing a novel, let alone that anyone had decided to publish it. But now she was holding the proof in her hands. How was this even possible? But there it was. The cover art she had approved. Her name staring back at her in embossed gold letters on the bottom. _Her name_. It actually said _Noelle Flack_. And yes, there was her picture on the inside back jacket. "Wow," she whispered. "I can't – I can't believe this. This is completely surreal."

"It's very real, Noelle. And in less than two months, millions of people are going to be seeing that book sitting in displays in bookstores all around the country. This is freakin' awesome!"

Noelle flipped through the pages, glancing at the dedication to make sure everything was right, reading over the brief biography on back inside jacket, taking in the synopsis inside the front cover. And the reviews! There were reviews – _from real authors_ – on the back. "Someone made all this up," she said incredulously. "There's no way Alice Sebold read my book."

Lindsay laughed at her best friend's wonder. "Sweetie, I'm pretty sure they're not allowed to make up stuff like that. Alice Sebold didn't just _read_ your book. She _loved_ your book. Now, would you start believing what Don and I have been telling you all along? This is amazing. And now you're a published author."

"You might want to read the last chapter before you pass judgment."

"Hey, as long as you didn't kill off Max, I'm good."

"Read it…" Noelle handed over the novel, taking a sip of her soda as she sat back and awaited her friend's final verdict.

While Lindsay was reading the last few pages, the front door opened, soon followed by a loud and excited, "Mommy!"

"Whoa, Katie, hold up a second. Let me get your shoes and jacket off," Don said from the entryway.

A minute later, the little girl came rushing into the living room. "Mommy!"

"Careful, Katie, remember you have to be careful," Flack called after his daughter as he kicked off his own shoes and hung up his overcoat.

"It's okay, sweetie, come give me a hug," Noelle beckoned her little girl.

Katie ran over and gave her mother a gentle hug then hopped up on the couch between her and Lindsay. "I go to the Lab and I help Uncle Danny. Then Daddy and I have ice cweam. I have choc'late," she explained.

"You had ice cream, did you?" She looked up at her husband pointedly as he walked into the living room.

"Hey, she worked very hard solving crimes today. You know, processing…_stuff_. Whatever it is that the CSI's do all day," he quipped, looking to get a rise out of Lindsay. He raised an eyebrow when he realized his friend was too engrossed in whatever she was reading to fire a smart-ass comment back at him. "What's that?"

"You didn't," Lindsay muttered. "Seriously, you didn't."

"I told you I didn't kill Max," Noelle said a little sheepishly.

"No, you killed off _Alexa_! You killed your main character!" the young CSI exclaimed.

"Wait, that's your book?" Don cut in, his eyes widening.

Noelle nodded with a grin. "Jason sent me an advance copy. Donnie, it's _my_ book!"

"Oh, my God, babe, that's awesome! Here, let me see," he requested.

Lindsay grudgingly handed the book over, sniffling.

"You're crying," Don teased her.

"She killed Alexa. Beautifully, I admit, but still…"

"Told ya there was a twist." He took the book, but before he looked at it, he eyed his friend a little warily. "You're not gonna yell at me again, are ya?"

"No. Your wife defended you. You're good."

Don chuckled, then looked over his wife's novel. Instead of the same disbelief the women had expressed, all he felt was pride. A wide smile crossed his face as he took everything in. "_Best Laid Plans_ by Noelle Flack. Soon to be a bestseller. That's my girl," he grinned.

"I think she's still in shock," Lindsay pointed out. "Now, I am going to leave you guys to celebrate while I go home and see if my twins have destroyed the house or driven Courtney to insanity yet."

"Aunt Lindy, I come pway with Livvie soon?" Katie asked.

"Of course you can, honey."

"Linds, keep May third open. I want you and Danny there," Noelle implored.

Lindsay smiled excitedly at the thought of getting to go to the release party. She could not wait to celebrate her best friend's success with her. "You got it."

Noli's book still in his hands, Don ushered Lindsay out, then he returned to join his wife and daughter in the living room. He sat down on the couch beside Katie, who was rambling on in more detail about her day at the Crime Lab. Meanwhile, he took to thumbing through the novel's pages, shaking his head a little in awe. He then stopped as he noticed the dedication page near the front. _To the love of my life, Don, who has always believed in me and let me dare to dream. _"Nol…"

"Hmm?"

He leaned over his daughter and kissed his wife gently.

She smiled as they separated.

"I'm real proud a-you, babe."

"The release party is May the third, _at the Plaza_. That means that on May the fourth, _my _novel is going to be available in stores across the country."

"_Then _your book's gonna hit the bestseller's list and make you famous. So, just don't forget the little people once that happens."

Katie's eyes widened. "I little! Mommy, you not fo'get me, wight?"

Noelle shot her husband a chastising look then put an arm around her daughter. "Daddy was just making a joke, sweetheart. I could never forget you. I promise."

"I gwow bigger," Katie added, still worried

Noli laughed softly. "Yes, but not too fast, all right? I want you to be my little girl for a long, long time. Now, Tony's gonna be home from school soon. Why don't you run upstairs and get one of your picture books and I'll read to you 'til he gets home, okay? Then we'll order a pizza to celebrate _Mommy's_ book."

"'k." Katie jumped down off the couch and ran up stairs to her room.

"Sometimes I forget how smart that kid is," Don sighed. "I didn't mean to freak her out."

"I know, honey. And for the record, I'm not going to forget about you, either."

He smirked, sliding over beside her and cupping her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. "I love you. And I really am so proud of you and this book. And to prove it, I'm gettin' us a suite at the Plaza for the night of the release party so we can have our own little after-party."

"I'd like that." She leaned up and kissed him again. "I miss you," she sighed as they came back up for air.

"Me too, doll. But you're gettin' stronger every day. That's all that matters." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers then brushing against her cheek. "And just think, with all of this anticipation…"

"Don't even go there, Donnie. I'm a writer, remember? My mind is always on overdrive. The last thing I need are more fantasies going through my head."

Don waggled his eyebrows. "Fantasies, huh? Feel like sharing?"

"Why? So can end up needing a cold shower and I can be left feeling horny?"

"You not have horns, silly," Katie scoffed as she ran back into the room, holding out a book. "We wead this one. Daddy, too."

Don pulled his daughter up onto his lap, firing an amused look towards his wife when he caught her slightly horrified expression at having been overheard. "Just remember, she takes everything literally."

"Yeah, well, I'm _literally_ just going to stop talking before we get another 'what's c-e-l-i-b-a-c-y' question," she whispered.

Flack chuckled. "Look at it this way, doll. Our kid's gonna be a fountain of information once she gets to preschool."

"Great. I'll just sit by the phone waiting for the day she gets kicked out of preschool for sharing that information."

"Ah, I don't think we gotta worry. With the amount of time she spends at the Lab, by the time she gets to preschool, the only information she's going to be sharing is the difference between DNA and RNA, so the only thing she could get in trouble for is boring the other kids to death."


	126. Propositions

As he stopped at a red light, Danny glanced over his best friend sitting in the passenger seat of the department-issue Avalanche. Flack had barely said two words since they had left the precinct and he seemed exhausted if nothing else. "You okay, man?"

Don had let his eyes close for a moment and opened them back up, looking over at Messer. "Hmm? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"You get no sleep last night? Katie sick or somethin'?"

"Nah, Katie's fine. Everyone's fine." He smirked then. He had come home late from work the night before expecting to find Noelle already asleep, but instead she had been waiting up for him in their bedroom wearing a silky midnight blue teddy he had never before had the pleasure of peeling off of her. A second follow-up appointment with her doctor that afternoon had resulted in the go-ahead for sex and she'd had no intention of waiting any longer to take full advantage. Flack certainly had no complaints. While he had been cautious and gentle as they made love for the first time in over four weeks, he had been intent on making up for lost time. Noelle had been quite an active participant, which had reassured him that she was feeling good, and they had ended up staying up well into the night. And as far as he was concerned, the consequences of him now being nearly dead on his feet only three hours into his afternoon shift were well worth it.

"Ah. All right, never mind," Danny laughed, clueing in to the cause of his friend's exhaustion. "So, I take it Hansen's feelin' better?"

"Yeah. There's still a bit of residual discomfort, but nothin' compared to before the surgery and what she was dealin' with for the first few weeks after."

"That's great, man. I'm glad to hear it."

Don ran a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up a bit. He was definitely going to need more coffee, though.

"What was that address again?" Danny asked.

Flack pulled out his memo book from his inside suit jacket pocket and flipped through the pages. "Park Central Hotel. West Fifty-sixth and Seventh. The ex-girlfriend's a desk clerk. Uh, Calista Marquez."

Danny drove a few more blocks then turned off of Eighth Avenue onto West Fifty-Sixth. Nearing Seventh, he pulled over and parked the vehicle. The two made their way down the rest of the block and entered the boutique hotel, heading immediately over to the front desk.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" the beautiful young woman behind the desk offered.

Danny held up his badge. "I'm Detective Messer, New York Crime Lab. This is Detective Flack, Homicide."

Don pushed his suit jacket aside to show his shield as well.

"You're hear about Ryan, aren't you?" the woman asked.

"You Calista Marquez?" was Danny's response.

The woman nodded.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions," Don explained.

She glanced over at another young woman who had been entering something into a computer terminal at the opposite end of the desk. She asked her coworker to cover for her, then led the two detectives over to a set of couches in the lobby. "Once I heard that Ryan had been murdered, I figured you'd be by eventually," she explained.

"Why's that?" Don questioned.

"One look at his call display and you would know I'd been calling him a lot recently." She sighed. "Look, I loved Ryan. I would never do anything to hurt him."

"You mind us askin' why you two broke up then?"

"Because he had a gambling problem. One evening, I went to put on this pair of antique ruby earrings my mother had passed on to me and they weren't in my jewelry box. Ryan tried to convince me that I must have lost them somewhere, but I knew they had been there the week before. A month after that, a bracelet went missing. Then a necklace. Then one day I'm emptying out his pockets to do laundry and I found a pawn ticket. I packed up my stuff and moved out that night, and told him not to call me until he was ready to admit he had a problem."

"Did he call?" Danny wondered.

She shook her head.

"So then why did _you_ start callin' _him_?"

Calista sat up a little straighter. "Because he still had some stuff that belonged to me. My jewelry, some artwork I realized I'd left behind. Look, detectives, I still loved him, but I wasn't _in_ love with him anymore, you know? I had moved on, and that meant getting my own place. I just wanted back what was mine. So I called. At first, just a couple times. Then when he didn't call me back, I tried just showing up on his doorstep, but he was never there. I guess I got a little carried away with the calls after that, but I kind of figured that, knowing Ry, he'd get so pissed off he would finally answer one day just to tell me to screw off."

Don leaned forward, trying to figure out if he believed the girl or not. "So, where were you Tuesday between eight and ten?"

"Here, working. The night manager called in sick, so I stayed and worked a double shift on the desk. My time card will verify that."

"Then we'll need a copy of that," Danny confirmed.

"Sure, I'll get it for you now." Calista got up and crossed the lobby, heading into an office off the front desk.

"So, what do ya think?" Messer asked his partner.

Don shrugged. "She had all the right answers. Besides, look at her. She's, what, about the same size as Linds?"

"Yeah, and from what Sid said, it woulda taken a hell of a lotta force to cause those injuries."

"This gambling thing didn't come up before, and that kind of motive definitely fits more with COD. I'll see what I can dig up."

Danny nodded in agreement. He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket then. He pulled it out, his home number popping up on the display. "Speakin' of Montana. You mind if I take this?"

"Nah, go ahead. I'll get the card and meet ya out at the car."

"Thanks, man." Danny got up and headed outside, answering his cell as he walked.

Don stood up as he saw Calista emerge from the office and met her part-way across the stylishly decorated lobby. "You said he had a gambling problem. You know if he owed anybody money?" he asked.

Calista laughed bitterly. "Besides me? He very well could have, Detective, but I have no idea. Here's my time card."

Don took it and slid it into his pocket. He then handed her his business card. "If you can think of anything else that might help, give me a call."

"I will. Oh, and Detective, I meant it earlier when I said I had moved on."

Don quirked his eyebrow, not following.

"Maybe I will give you a call sometime. And not to talk about the case," she suggested. She moved a little closer, lowering her voice. "I'm incredibly flexible."

Flack caught on and actually took a step back. "Look, Ms. Marquez, I'm flattered, but I'm married," he said, waving his left hand, his wedding ring hard to miss.

"That's no problem for me if it's not for you," Calista said easily, showing no surprise. She had obviously noticed the ring before. "She can even join us if she wants."

Don cleared his throat. "I've got more than enough to keep me happy at home. So, uh – Thanks for the info. Detective Messer will be in touch if we need anything further." And with that, he turned and made a quick exit from the hotel.

It was certainly not the first time a woman had flirted with him since he had been with Noelle, but no one had ever been so blatant about it before. Usually the ring was an obvious deterrent, but apparently Calista did not care one way or another. He shook his head a little as he slipped into the car.

"You find out anything more?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, the chick's into threesomes."

Messer's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. "And how the hell did _that _come up?"

Don sighed, relaying to Danny what the CSI had missed after departing to take the call from his own wife.

Danny broke out laughing. "Holy crap, that's awesome. Hansen's gonna love this one. Man, I wish could see her face when you tell her." He caught the incredulously look on Flack's face and shook his head. "Oh, come on. You've gotta tell her."

"I'm not sure Noli's gonna find it as amusing as you seem to. You know, she's a little fragile right now. I kinda doubt she's gonna want to hear about some girl hitting on me anymore than I'd want to hear about some guy propositioning her."

"First of all, Hansen's far from fragile. Second – No, you know, never mind." Danny stopped himself. He had spent the past couple weeks debating whether or not he should tell Don about Katie's observations regarding Jason. But based on Don's comment about other guys hitting on his wife, maybe it was not the best idea to stir something up when there was probably nothing to it. The release party was just a few weeks away now, and Lindsay had said that they were invited. So, Danny decided he would just keep his eyes and ears open. He was a talented detective, he would know within seconds if Jason Cartwright was after more than just a successful book launch.

"What were you gonna say just now?" Flack pressed.

"It's nothin'. Let's go grab a slice. I'm starving."

"You're always starving. But yeah, sounds good." He shook his head, unable to stifle a chuckle then. "You're right. I gotta tell Nol about this."

* * *

"You don't think I should just read the opening?" Noelle asked as she set a cup of coffee down in front of Jason, then joined him at the kitchen table with one of her own.

"I actually think you should do both. Definitely an excerpt from the prologue, but I really think the scene from the third chapter is a better focus," Cartwright replied. "That section really sets the scene without giving too much away. It will leave them all wanting more."

Noelle considered, then nodded, unable to argue with the suggestion. "All right. But I'm not going to have to speak other than the reading, am I? I really hate public speaking."

"Well, perhaps a few lines. You know, 'Thank you all for coming. Please have everyone you've ever known buy a copy of my book.'"

She laughed softly. "But maybe with a little more subtlety?"

Jason nodded with a grin. "I'll leave that up to you." He looked down that at the schedule he had brought. "So, is this workable for you?"

Noli bit her lip as she read it over again, still feeling a little overwhelmed by the tour that had been planned to follow the launch. Seattle, San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Washington, Boston and of course, a few different stops right in New York. She would be doing readings and book signings in each city to promote the book. Elle was also trying to use some of her connections to schedule a few interviews. It was difficult now when nobody knew who Noelle was yet, but Elle was confident that once the book was released and word got around, people were going to be lining up for the chance to meet the rising star. "Don and I talked about it and we can make it work. And Tony's cool with all of this. Katie may be another story. She's had so much upheaval the past few months."

"Little kids are resilient," Jason said simply.

"Doesn't make it easier. You'll understand that one day if you ever settle down," she pointed out.

"I enjoy my life too much to want to settle down," he replied. "Listen, did you call any of those agents I suggested?"

She nodded. "Yes. Brooke Dawson. I really liked her. We're going to meet next week to chat some more."

"Good. That's a good choice. I mean, she's excellent. And if she's smart, she'll start trying to option some film rights once the buzz starts building."

Noelle took a deep breath, sitting back in her chair. "I can't believe we're even talking about all of this. I mean, it still feels so surreal."

"Sweetheart, this is just the beginning. You've just got to ride the wave. Have you started thinking about your second book yet?"

"I have tons of ideas. I just haven't really been able to focus them yet. Part of me wants to work off the first, you know, build on the momentum and continue Max's story. But then I've got some thoughts for a completely different story."

"Well, why don't you put together a couple different outlines and I'll look them over?"

"Don't you and Elle want to wait to see how the first book does before we start discussing a second?"

"You need to focus your energy on the launch of _Best Laid Plans_ and starting putting together your follow-up, all right? Once you've got Brooke on your team, she can take care of the business. But I don't want you worrying about whether or not you're going to get an option for a second book. It's a foregone conclusion, sweetheart. You're Carmichael's hot new commodity and Elle knows it. She's as shrewd as they come and she is not about to let you go run to another publishing house, not when you're about to make her a hell of a lot of money."

Noelle took another deep breath. This all just seemed too good to be true. She kept waiting for someone to step out of the shadows and tell her she was being Punk'd, or to wake up and find out this had all been a dream. It just seemed too easy. Jason was turning into some Dreamweaver who seemed to be handing her everything she had ever wanted but had been too afraid to even contemplate.

"Mommy? I sirsty," Katie said from the doorway to the kitchen.

Noelle glanced up and smiled. She had not even heard her little girl come downstairs after waking from her afternoon nap. "Hey, Katie-bear. C'mere and I'll get you some juice. And can you say 'hi' to Jason?"

Katie hesitated for a moment before she walked further into the room, then offered a small wave. "Hi."

"Hello, Ekaterina," Jason greeted.

"Katie," the little girl said softly.

"She doesn't like her full name," Noelle explained a little apologetically. "It's probably our fault since we hardly ever use it."

"Katie, then. I'm sorry. How are you?" Jason asked, making an effort to talk with the three year old.

"I fine. I go to the Lab and help Uncle Danny. And Mommy say we have a big party so she gonna buy me a pwetty new dwess! But wocco not come."

Jason glanced up at Noelle as she handed Katie a sippy cup with her juice. "You're bringing your kids to the release party?"

"Of course. Tony's even bringing his new girlfriend." She looked at Katie. "All right, sweetie. Jason and I still have some work to do. Do you want to colour for a while?"

Katie nodded. "Can I stay here wit' you, Mommy?" she requested.

Noelle beamed at the request. "Sure, sweetheart. Here, let's get you set up here with your crayons. You can draw a picture for Daddy since he probably won't get home until after you're asleep, all right?" She lifted her daughter up into her booster seat on the other side of the table and grabbed some crayons and some paper for her before sitting back down herself.

Jason cleared his throat, glancing over at the toddler before returning his gaze to Noelle. "It will be a late night for her. Your son as well."

"So? It's one night. And it's certainly not everyday my first book launches. It'll be fine. My parents will take them home after. Don and I are going to get a suite and stay at the hotel."

"At the Plaza?"

She nodded with a wistful smile. "It was all Don's idea. That's where we spent our wedding night, actually, so it's got some sentimental value."

Jason furrowed his brow.

"Something wrong? I mean, it's fine that I bring the kids, right? You never said anything about –"

"No, of course it's fine. Obviously, you'd want them there. It's going to be a big night for you – the beginning of a whole new life really."

They were going over more details surrounding the launch a while later when the landline rang. Noelle grabbed the cordless handset she had kept nearby and grinned when she saw Don's cell phone come up. "I'll just be a minute. I need to take this," she said, excusing herself with a gentle reminder to Katie to be good.

While Noelle left the room, Jason glanced uneasily over at the toddler sitting across the table from him.

Katie grinned at him. "You have a girlfwiend?" she asked.

Jason looked at her a little incredulously, but then shook his head slowly. "No."

"Why? Mommy have Daddy, an' Tony have Can'ice, an' Uncle Danny –"

"I get your point, Katie."

"You need a girlfwiend," she said matter-of-factly, then returned to drawing her picture.

Jason shook his head. Was it possible he had just been warned off by a three year old?

Meanwhile, Noelle crossed the entryway and headed into the living room for some privacy. "You've only been gone a few hours. You missing me already?" she greeted her husband teasingly.

Don grinned. "Busted. How're you feelin', babe?"

"I'm good. Really good, actually."

"Yeah? So, last night was okay?"

"Last night was better than okay," she replied, her voice low to ensure she was not overheard.

"Why are you – Ah, sorry, doll, I wasn't payin' attention to the time. Jason's still there, isn't he?"

"It's fine. We're just about finished anyway. I left him in the kitchen with Katie. So, how's your shift going? How many cups of coffee have you downed so far?" she asked.

"Uh, I'm on my third. Means I'll probably be wired when I get home."

"Good, 'cause I'm hoping you'll be up for a repeat of last night."

"Christ. In that case, I'm on my way to Vincenzo's for a double espresso."

She laughed.

Don hesitated for a moment then. "So, I, uh – I wasn't sure I was gonna tell ya, but Messer thought you might be entertained: a suspect tried to pick me up earlier."

Noelle furrowed her brow. "I'm supposed to find that entertaining?"

"Well, she said you could join us."

At that, Noli found herself chuckling incredulously. "Really. Well, if you ever see her again, you can tell her I don't play nicely with others and I _definitely _don't share my man."

"That's pretty much what I told her, but damn, it sounds sexy comin' from you," he replied with a smirk. "Listen, I'll let ya get back. Unless something unforeseen happens, I should be home by ten."

"All right. Be safe. I love you."

"I love you, too, doll. Bye."

Noli hung up the phone with a roll of her eyes. Whatever happened to people respecting the wedding band on a person's finger? "Well, at least she had the courtesy to ask me to join them," she muttered. She returned to the kitchen, ruffling her daughter's hair before she sat down. "Sorry about that."

"Everything okay?" Jason asked.

"Oh , yeah, everything's fine. It was Don. He had a suspect hit on him today. Thought he'd share."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Speaking of which, a guy like you with no ties and no interest in settling down, you must have a string of women at your beck of call. So, who's the lucky woman who gets the pleasure of accompanying you to the release party?"

He chuckled. "I'm not sure about all of that. And at this point, I expect I'll be arriving stag."

"C'mon, Jason. Look at you. You're ridiculously handsome, well-off, charming. There's got to be _someone_."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But she's a bit of a challenge."

"I thought that was half the fun for you men. Besides, you never know what might happen. Maybe she'll be the one to tame your wild ways. I think you should go for it. Any woman would be crazy to say no to you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "We'll see."


	127. Donna Karan

Don walked through the front door, exhausted after the last night shift on this rotation had turned into an eighteen hour tour. He followed his usual routine of locking away his gun and shield then put his shoes away in the closet. Noticing the kitchen empty, he wandered into the living room, where Tony and Candice were sitting together on the couch watching _Angels & Demons_. "Hey guys," he greeted.

Tony paused the movie and glanced up at his father with a smile. "Hey, Dad."

"Hi, Mr. Flack," Candice greeted, her voice carrying with it a slightly nervous tremble. She had spent quite a bit of time at the Flack house over the past couple months, but Don had rarely been around with the hours that he worked so she had not gotten to know him as she had Noelle. She was more familiar with the legend than the man, the heroic figure Tony was always bragging about. As such, she had confessed to her boyfriend when they were alone that his father actually intimidated her a bit. Tony had assured her that his dad was the coolest, but she still found herself a little unnerved by the man who carried a gun and had actually used it to kill before.

"How are ya, Candice?" Don asked cordially.

"Um, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Good. Tony, your ma and Katie upstairs?"

"Katie is, she's taking a nap. But Noelle went out for a run."

Don furrowed his brow. "She what?"

Tony just shrugged.

Flack ran a hand through his hair. While Noelle was six and a half weeks out of her surgery and feeling well, _he_ was still feeling overprotective, and in his mind, jogging was pushing it. Especially on her own. "You guys enjoy the movie. I'm gonna run up and change. I'll keep my ears open for Katie."

"It's cool if you wanna sleep," Tony offered.

"Nah, I'm good. Besides I wanna talk to your mom." He turned to go, but then stopped and turned back around before Tony could un-pause the movie. "Oh, Candice? Can you have your parents drop you off by six next Saturday? We should try to get to the hotel by seven. And Tony we're hookin' up with Messer tomorrow afternoon to get ya a new suit, all right?"

"A suit?" Tony complained.

"Yes, a suit. Just be glad it ain't a tux, buddy." Don fired off a wink towards his son then headed upstairs. He quickly checked in on Katie and found her fast asleep, her little chest rising and falling slowly, her heart-shaped mouth curled up in a smile around her thumb. He grinned, and then gingerly closed her door before heading into his own room. He stripped off his own suit and decided he probably had time for a quick shower.

Pulling on a pair of jeans, Don emerged from the en suite a short while later to find his wife wandering into the room.

Noelle grinned at finding him shirtless. "Now this is what I call serendipity."

Normally, seeing the glint in her eyes, he would have forgotten all about the teenagers watching TV downstairs and the toddler asleep down the hall, and taken advantage with a quickie. She did look damn sexy in her tear-aways and tank top, her hair pulled back with a few tendrils escaping and framing her face, her forehead beaded with sweat. But instead, he took a deep breath and grabbed the t-shirt he had left laying out on the end of the bed, pulling it on. "What the hell were you thinking going out for a run by yourself?" he asked, his voice not raised but his tone even.

She was a little taken aback, but she quickly recovered, her hands moving to her hips, her stance a little defiant. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Nol. You tryin' to put yourself back in the hospital?"

"Jesus, Donnie, I'm not a two year old. Give me a little credit, will you? I think I know my body and what I'm capable of," she shot back.

"You're always pushing yourself!"

"I just went for a run! That actually turned into more of a power walk considering I've been sitting on my butt for nearly two months. I needed to get up and moving and start feeling normal again. But _you_ need to stop hovering and just trust me!"

Holding his ground, he shook his head. "You shouldn't have gone out by yourself."

She scoffed. "I'm sorry, but did you get a medical degree in between chasing down the bad guys? My _doctor _said I was fine to resume all of my normal activities – and that includes more than just keeping you happy in bed. And I certainly haven't heard any complaints about _that_ in the past couple weeks."

Don sighed. "Noli…"

"What? I was careful, Don. Why isn't that enough for you?"

"Look, I know I'm overprotective and it drives you crazy. I just –"

"You don't want anything to happen to me," she cut in, her tone softening. "I know. I get it. I feel the same way every time you walk out the door wearing your gun and shield. But c'mon. If I have to trust you to be careful and listen to your instincts out there, then you have to trust me, too."

"I do."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I do, okay? But you called it. I don't want anything to happen to you." He took a deep breath. "I've been on the job goin' on fifteen years, Nol. It's always in the back of my mind that something could go wrong out there. And I fight like hell to make sure it doesn't because I never want to leave you or our kids. But until you were lying in that hospital bed, it never occurred to me that it could be you that something happened to. And that realization knocked the wind out of me. So maybe I haven't exactly been handling it well. I know I've been hovering. I just – Babe, I love you so damn much it scares me sometimes and I just – I can't lose you."

She walked over and took his hands in hers. "Next time, how 'bout you just try telling me that instead of yelling at me, all right?"

"You know I'm no good with words, No."

"I have to disagree with you there, baby, considering you just made my toes curl. Look, I know that there's nothing I can say that's going to make you stop worrying about me, so I won't waste my breath. But treating me like I can't take care of myself? C'mon, Donnie, you can't call me out every time I take a step out the front door. And nothing's going to happen to me. I'm one of the lucky few that has everything I ever wanted. So do you honestly think I'm going to do anything to risk that?"

He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll work on tryin' not to be so overprotective."

She tilted her head, meeting his lips in a gentle kiss. "I'm going to go hop in the shower. Maybe you should go look in on the kids considering I broke our own rules and left Tony and Candice alone for a while. But honestly, that girl is so terrified of you that Tony's going to be lucky if he ever even gets a kiss in this house."

"She's scared a-me?"

Noelle nodded with a soft laugh.

"Did I do something?"

"No. I just think our son's probably exaggerated some of the stories he's told her about you. You know, in her eyes, you're a big, bad cop."

He sighed. "I don't want the poor girl to be afraid of me."

"Hmm. That's not what you say about the boys I keep telling you will one day be coming around to see Katie."

"Yeah, well that's different."

Noli rolled her eyes. "And the double standard begins. You and Danny are hopeless, you know that? Just – Tony really likes Candice, so maybe you should try and not be so terrifying, okay?" she teased him.

"I'll see what I can do. You know, somethin' tells me our kid's not gonna mind wearin' the suit so much once he sees his girl all dolled up. Speakin' of which, you found anything yet?"

Noelle scrunched up her nose. "I don't know what to wear to this thing. Nothing seems right. Then, of course, I fell in love with this Donna Karan dress in the window on Madison Avenue when Linds and I were out yesterday, but one look at the price tag…" she sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'll go back to Saks and look again."

"You'll find somethin', babe. You've still got a week." He kissed her forehead, then left her to take her shower while he headed down to check on the kids and get himself something to eat.

He found Tony and Candice still sitting together on the couch watching the movie, a safe distance between them, though Don noticed that Tony was holding her hand. He shook his head with a smile then headed into the kitchen to find something to eat to tide him over until dinner. He was in the midst of making himself a sandwich when Katie came running into the room, her arms wrapping themselves around his legs.

"Hey, cutie. Did you have a good nap?" he asked, picking her up and tickling her tummy as he rested her on his hip.

She nodded, kissing his cheek. "Daddy, I wear my dwess now?" she asked hopefully.

"Not yet, Katie-bear. The party's not for another week."

She pouted.

Don kissed the tip of her nose. "But I bet you're going to look very pretty. Did Mommy get you new shoes, too?"

Katie grinned proudly. "They have bows on 'em!"

"Wow. That's very cool. My shoes don't have bows on them."

"That silly, Daddy!"

Don chuckled. "Mommy said she saw a dress in a window yesterday that she really liked. Do you remember?"

Katie considered then nodded.

"Do you know what colour it was?"

"Black."

"Would you remember it if you saw it again?"

Katie nodded.

Don left his sandwich untouched on the counter and walked over to the kitchen table, sitting down with his daughter on his knee. He opened Noelle's laptop and signed on, starting an internet browser. "Donna Karen," he muttered, remembering what Noelle had told him, typing it into the search engine. "'Did you mean Donna Karan?' Yep, I guess I did."

Katie giggled at her father's narration.

He found the link to the New York store and entered the site. He furrowed his brow as a bunch of different collections were listed. He clicked on the first link and started scrolling through the designs, telling Katie to stop him if she saw the one her mom had liked.

"T'at one!" she exclaimed on the fourth collection, something called Modern Icons, pointing at a long, black strapless dress.

It was beautiful, and definitely Noelle's taste, Don noted. He clicked on the dress for further details, his eyes bugging out of his head when he saw the price. "Three thousand bucks? Jesus Christ."

"Daddy, you not s'posed to say that word 'less you pwaying," Katie chastised him.

He glanced at his little girl. "You're right. Sorry, cutie. Uh, you sure this is the dress Mommy liked?"

"Yep. It pwetty."

"Pretty damn expensive," he muttered, catching himself again with the language. He kissed Katie's temple with yet another apology. Well, there went his grand plan to surprise his wife. There was no way he could justify spending more than half a month's take-home on a dress. Despite Carmichael giving Noelle a fair advance, there would be no money coming now until the royalty cheques started pouring in – quarterly. And although she was still making contributions to _Moda Bella_, they had not been as regular with her surgery and recovery.

Don sighed. For the first time, words Danny had spoken weeks ago came back to haunt him: _"Your wife's gonna be introduced to a whole different circle of people, and I betcha most of 'em have never even been in the same room with a real cop." _He had never really given it much thought, this world that was opening up to Noelle. He had always been very happy with who he was, a civil servant, a cop who was driven by a thirst for justice. And Noli had certainly never had any complaints. But she _was_ about to enter a completely different world. The release party was not going to be like the Policeman's Ball, where law enforcement personnel assembled with respect for the badge above all else. Aside from the few family members and friends Noelle had ensured were included on the guest list, the release party was going to be full of publishing executives, writers, editors and journalists and any other A-listers Elle managed to wrangle. The party would be a celebration but it was also a sales pitch and a networking opportunity – all taking place in an arena that was completely foreign to him, full of people that went out and bought three thousand dollar dresses without a second thought. If it was not for Noelle, it would be a world he would have zero interest in. However, he was proud of her and wanted her to succeed – and he also did not want her to walk into her own party next week feeling as if she did not belong.

"Daddy?"

Don escaped his thoughts and looked at his little girl. "Yeah, cutie?"

"That Mommy's dwess?"

He took a deep breath. "I dunno, sweetheart."

"Ah, that feels better," Noelle announced, walking into the kitchen in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he damp hair pulled back in a messy bun. "What are you two up to?"

Don exited out of the browser, then he dropped a kiss on top of Katie's head. He got up, setting his daughter in the seat he had vacated. "Just a sec, babe." He wandered out into the hallway and retrieved the lockbox from the top of the closet that not only held his gun and badge, but also a couple credit cards they did not use but kept for emergencies. He returned to the kitchen and handed one of the cards to Noelle. "You should get the dress."

"Donnie, no. The dress was three thousand dollars," she argued.

"I know."

"How?"

"Did you know you spell Karan with an 'A'?"

She smiled, shaking her head. "You looked it up? Ah, so that's what your little spy was helping you with. Well, honey, I'm not buying a three thousand dollar dress."

"Just put it on the card and we'll pay it off in pieces. I don't want you walking into that party next week feeling out of place and if that dress will help –"

"I'll find something else. Saks had some nice stuff for a quarter of the price. I was just being picky. I'll go back tomorrow while you guys are shopping for Tony's and Danny's suits."

"Look, take the card, a'right?"

"Don…"

"_If_ you don't find something you like as much, buy the dress."

She quirked an eyebrow. "And you won't yell at me again if I do, will you?" she asked jokingly.

He flashed his dimpled grin. "No. Look, babe, you only release your first novel once. And my prediction? You're gonna sell enough copies that your first royalty cheque is gonna make the price of that dress look like nothin'. "

"I think you're being optimistic there."

"Call it faith."

"Well, I love you for the sentiment, but I'm not buying the dress. Because whether my book does well or not, we're still going to be the same people. Don and Noelle. People who do not buy three thousand dollar dresses whether they can afford them or not. I'll find something else, and Tony'll be able to go to college."

Don smirked. "That's my girl. Look, I'm sorry about earlier."

"You don't have to apologize for caring. But if you really want to make it up to me, you can be my date to this fabulous little shindig that's being thrown next Saturday."

"That goes without sayin', doll. And for the record, it won't matter what you're wearing at that party. You're gonna knock 'em dead, and there's gonna be no other guy there lookin' at you the way I will." He cupped her faced in his hands and kissed her gently – only to be interrupted by a little voice pleading, "I wear my dwess _now_?"


	128. Freaking Out

Noelle stood in front of the full length mirror, barely recognizing the woman who was looking back at her in the Mary L Couture print dress. It was Wednesday afternoon and she was in a Nordstrom dressing room in White Plains, trying on a dress that was both breathtakingly beautiful and on sale. But as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was not seeing the beauty of the gown or the price tag that meant her son would actually be able to go to college without them having to take out a second mortgage on the house. Instead, she felt as if she was looking at someone else.

Three years ago, she was in the midst of the long and arduous process of adopting a child, wondering if she had what it took to be a single mother and praying that she would be given the opportunity to find out. A year later, she _was_ that single mother, and all of her energy was suddenly focused on providing her daughter with the best life possible, even if it meant resigning herself to the idea of being a compliance officer for an insurance company for the rest of her professional life. Once her dream of becoming a mother had been realized, she had reasoned that she had been given more than she deserved, and for all intents and purposes, she had stopped dreaming. Right up until the moment that she met some ridiculously hot guy at a bar – and everything had changed.

The last thing on her mind that night at Sullivan's had been meeting anyone. It had taken her friends weeks to even convince her to go, and she had felt guilty the whole time about leaving Katie with her parents just so she could spend a night out on the town. But when she had turned around at the bar and nearly walked right into Don's strong frame, she had gotten this feeling right down deep inside of herself that everything was about to change. She just had no idea how sweeping those changes were going to be. At the moment that her hazel eyes met his pair of piercing grey-blue ones, Noelle Hansen had no idea that in less than seven months, she would be Noelle Flack. And she never would have guessed that before their first anniversary, they would have a son to be a big brother for their daughter, or that instead of working a nine-to-five job that, while not unpleasant, had not been her life's ambition, she would be making a living as a writer.

Now in three days, she would be launching her first book. She would be able to say that she was a published novelist. All because her husband had encouraged her to take a chance and do what she really wanted to do, and because he had promised that somehow, they would make it work. But she knew that things were about to change yet again. She had that same feeling deep inside of herself. Only this time, she was meeting that change with some trepidation. She could not wait for her book to be out there, and of course, she wanted it to do well. However, at the same time, she was not sure she was prepared for what its success might mean – for her, or for her family. Not to mention that with each passing day, she was simply growing more nervous about the launch party and the tour that was to follow – about putting herself out there for all the world to see. In fact, she could barely breathe whenever she thought about being at the centre of all of this attention. She wished that had not been part of the deal. Having a party to celebrate was one thing, but having to entertain a room full of people she did not know was quite another. Especially considering that the purpose of the release party and the subsequent book signings was to promote _Best Laid Plans, _not to celebrate its publication. Carmichael had invested a lot in both her and her novel and it was now time for her to deliver. While those around her kept saying that the book was going to sell itself, she knew that was not possible until enough buzz had been created about it – and she was feeling the pressure to create that buzz.

She bit her lip as she looked at her reflection staring back at her. She wished that the simple act of slipping into some gorgeous dress would give her the confidence she was lacking. Instead, she suddenly felt like a stranger in her own skin.

Feeling panicked, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone, dialing Don's cell number. When it went straight to voicemail, she cursed. "Damn felons. Donnie, I need you," she sighed. Taking a breath, she scrolled through her contact lists and hit 'Talk.'

"Jason Cartwright."

"Thanks God you picked up. I can't do this."

"Noelle? What's wrong?"

"This whole thing. This is crazy. Why is anyone going to want to read _my_ book?"

He laughed softly. "Because it's some of the best fiction this publishing house has produced in the past test years. Look, I'm not here to tell you what you want to hear, Noelle. That's your agent's job. Or your husband's. _I'm _here to make sure Elle gets what she paid for, and sweetheart, you've more than delivered. So take a deep breath and just keep telling yourself that you deserve this, because you do. And just remember that in a few months, when _Best Laid Plans_ is sitting on top of the bestseller's list, I reserved the right to say 'I told you so.'"

Noelle took his advice and took another deep breath, calming herself down.

Jason hesitated for a moment. "So, all that was said as your editor. Now, as your friend, just remember that I'm going to be there with you every step of the way on Saturday night. And I've got no doubt that you're going to knock 'em dead."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I don't know why I'm freaking out like this."

"It's completely understandable. I'm sure this must be overwhelming. Just keep reminding yourself that you deserve all the good things that are about to happen to you."

Noelle's phone beeped in her ear then. "Oh, Jason, I've got another call. I'm sorry for bothering you, but thank you so much for calming me down."

"No problem. I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"All right. Bye." She pulled the phone down and looked at the menus, trying to remember how to work the new device Don had insisted she upgrade to. Finally hitting the right button, she brought her phone back to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe."

Noli bit her lip, looked back up to catch her reflection in the mirror. "Honey."

"Sorry I didn't pick up when you called. I just got out of a four hour interrogation. Everything all right?"

"Yeah, I was just having a mini-melt down. But I called Jason and he talked me down."

Don cleared his throat. "Jason, huh? That's, uh – Good. I'm glad he helped."

"I'm just getting really nervous. I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid, doll. This is a big deal. It's only natural for you to be nervous. But just remember that your book's gonna stand on its own. And no matter what, my hand's gonna be there for you to hold every step of the way," he promised her.

"God, I love you so much. How'd I get so lucky?"

"You're just one of those fortunate few, babe," he teased her. "And for the record, I love you, too. You get to White Plains all right?"

"Yeah, I'm there now, actually. I found a dress."

"That's great." He lowered his voice as he said, "I can't wait to tear it off you at our little after-party."

She laughed softly. "Donnie…"

He smirked. "Ah, listen, babe, I gotta go. Messer's here with some results I've been waitin' for. I'll see ya in a few hours, a'right?"

"Okay. Bye, honey."

"Later, doll."

Noelle put her phone away and took one last look at herself in the mirror before stripping the dress off. As she put her jeans and sweater back on, she felt much more comfortable. She realized though that it was not the change of clothes that had restored her confidence. It was the reminder that with Don standing next to her, they were an indestructible team – and she could handle anything thrown her way with him on her side.

* * *

Don set his cell down with a hint of a scowl.

"Everything all right?" Danny asked, taking a seat in the visitor's chair and setting the evidence report he had brought with him down on the edge of the desk.

"Yeah, everything's fine. That was just Noli. She's freakin' out a bit with the release just a few days away."

"What, you kiddin' me? Hansen's gonna kill 'em. Hope she doesn't forget us little people. Hey, this thing's open bar, right?"

Don rolled his eyes slightly. "You think Carmichael would throw a party that wasn't open bar? Don't worry, you're not gonna die of boredom."

"Just checkin'. Ah, y'know, Hansen's got nothin' to worry about. The book's good."

"That's what I keep tellin' her. Though it seems Jason was the one who was able to talk her down," he explained, unable to completely hide the disdain in his voice.

"Her editor?"

Don nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Editor, sure."

Danny quirked an eyebrow.

Flack noticed the look on his face and shook his head. "You know what? Never mind. You got somethin' for me?"

Messer turned to the report he had brought down, going over the evidence he and Sheldon had found. They reviewed everything they had and then started talking theories, bouncing some ideas off of each other as they often did. However, the whole time, Danny could tell that something was eating at his best friend and he had a good idea what it was. From a few words uttered by a three year old, he had already made up his mind that he wasn't going to like this Jason guy. And from the looks of things, he was starting to think Don was on the same page. "You sure you don't wanna talk about whatever it is that's bothering you?" he finally pressed.

Flack sat back in his chair, tossing down the pen he had been twirling between his fingers. "I know it's crazy, right? To be jealous of this guy? But I can't help it. Y'know, he's been workin' so closely with Noelle, and they have all this stuff in common. Not to mention that he's partly responsible for makin' all this happen for her..." He shook his head. "Jesus, Noli'd cuff me upside the head if she heard me talkin' like this. I mean, it's not like the guy has any interest in her other than professional."

"'Course not." Danny hesitated for a moment. "Ya know, I think it's natural to be a little jealous of the guys your wife works with. I mean, I still sometimes get a knot when Montana's out in the field with Hawkes or one of the detectives I don't know that well. But ya just gotta remember that Hansen's all about you, so you got nothin' to worry about. So, I mean, even if this Jason guy's interest was somethin' more than professional, it wouldn't matter, right?"

"Hey, I trust Noelle implicitly. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't matter. What, ya kidding me? If Jason or any other guy so much as thinks about makin' a move on my wife…" he trailed off, the expression on his facing saying everything he needed to say.

Messer gulped. For the sake of both of his friends, he decided he was going to have to keep a close eye on Jason Cartwright Saturday night. "I gotta get back. I'll see ya later."

Left alone with his thoughts, Don sighed. He had not even met Jason and he already did not like the guy. He comforted himself with the fact that it was really a moot point anyway. After Saturday, Cartwright would hardly be involved in Noelle's life, at least for the next while. And even if she signed on with Carmichael for her next book – which her new agent had advised against until they had a few weeks of book sales on their side to negotiate with – there was no telling whether she would end up working with Jason again or if they would give her another editor.

He had managed to get his mind back on the job and was reviewing some witness statements on the case a short while later when a shadow appeared at the side of his desk. He glanced up, a broad smile crossing his face. "You know you're three days early, right?" he quipped. He stood up, extending his hand to David Rossi. "It's great to see ya, man. Noelle's gonna be thrilled you were able to make it."

"Good to see you, too. And yes, I know I'm early. I just thought I'd take a few days off and get the chance to spend some real time in the city since I hardly had a chance to see anything back in December. You're looking well. I take it life is treating you all right?"

Flack gestured for David to take a seat, and as they both sat down, he replied, "Yeah, everything's good."

"I'm glad to hear it. I read the advance copy Noelle forwarded. Her short stories didn't do her justice. She must be incredibly proud of what she's accomplished. I'm sure you are, too."

Don grinned. "I couldn't be more proud of my wife. She's gettin' kinda nervous about Saturday night, but I can't wait to see her get all of the accolades she deserves."

David smiled at the expression on his friend's face. He had to admit that he was envious of what Don and Noelle had. Having spent decades exploring the minds of killers had made relationships difficult – his three failed marriages were proof of that. Anybody who could make it work had his admiration and respect. "And Noelle's feeling well after her surgery?"

"She's doing fine. Thank God. And the kids are great. Tony's got himself a new girlfriend," Flack explained.

Rossi smirked. "Something told me that son of yours would come through everything just fine. You approve?"

"Of Candice? Yeah, she's a sweet kid. Comes from a good family. Her father's a math professor over at NYU and her mom's a nurse. And she's apparently afraid of me, so we don't gotta worry about anything happening as long as they're under our roof," he kidded. "Tony's completely smitten. Messer and I took him out last weekend to get a suit for the launch party and at first he was all sullen, y'know, 'why do I gotta get a suit?' Soon as Messer told him how hot girls think guys are in suits, he was all over it. Then he was askin' us if he should get her some flowers or a corsage…I don't think I was that considerate when I was goin' on sixteen."

"You and me both. He still hoping to make it to the Majors?"

Don shrugged. "He's still passionate about the game, but I gotta tell ya, he keeps makin' noise about joining the NYPD after college. We got a lotta time left, so we'll see."

The two chatted for a while longer, catching up, until David glanced at his watch and announced that he should let Don get back to work.

"Hey, listen, I'll confirm with Nol, but how 'bout dinner tomorrow night? You can come to the house, meet the kids?" Flack invited.

"I don't want to put you guys out. I know this is a big week…"

"Ah, it would be good to get Noelle's mind off the release and I know she'd love to see ya. I'll give you a call tomorrow?"

"Sounds great, Don. Thank you."

The two shook hands again, then David took off.

Left alone once again, Don felt better than he had earlier. He realized he had to let whatever jealousy he was feeling towards Jason go, because he was not about to let anything ruin his wife's night on Saturday.

* * *

"All right, sweetie. Let's go hang up Mommy's new dress then we'll get you in the bathtub before Tony and Daddy get home," Noelle said as she led Katie into the house by the hand. Her daughter had spent the afternoon with her sister-in-law, and had spent the entire ride home giving Noelle a minute-by-minute play-by-play of her time with her aunt and baby cousin, Riley.

"I see it, Mommy?" Katie requested.

"Of course you can." Noelle took her little girl upstairs and into the master bedroom, then carefully took her new dress out of the garment bag it had been packed in. "What do you think?"

Katie's eyes lit up at the long, blue printed dress. "It so pwetty, Mommy!"

"Ah, Katie-bear, thank you. You think your daddy will like it?"

The three year old nodded.

Noelle hung the dress up in the closet, starting to feel her nerves subside a little, then she turned back to her little girl. "Saturday's going to be a very big night for us, sweetheart."

"An; we get to wear pwetty dwesses!"

Noli laughed softly, crouching down in front of her. "That's right. And a whole bunch of people are going to be there. A lot of people we don't know. But also all of our close friends and family."

"Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindy?" Katie asked excitedly.

"Yep. And all your other aunts and uncles and your grandparents…Tony's going to bring Candice, too. You like Candice, don't you?"

Katie nodded. "She nice an' she let me pway video games with her and Tony."

"Yes, she's a very sweet girl, isn't she? I think your brother really likes her."

"Tony an' Can'ice have babies?"

Noelle felt her heart nearly stop at the innocent question. "Dear God, no, honey. They're much too young." Desperately wanting to change the subject before her daughter started asking why Tony and Candice would _not_ be having babies anytime soon, she ran a hand through the little girl's chestnut hair. "Do you want Mommy to put even more curls in your hair for the party?"

Katie nodded with a big grin. "Like Aunt Tella?"

"Sure, honey, like Aunt Stella. You're going to look so beautiful, just like a little princess. You're going to meet lots of new people, and you'll get to see Jason again…"

"I don' like him," the three year old announced rather emphatically.

Noelle furrowed her brow. She had never heard her daughter say she did not like someone before. "Why would you say that, sweetheart?"

Katie scowled. "He not have a girlfwiend."

At the logic, Noli laughed softly. "You can't _not_ like someone just because they don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, Katie-bear. Now c'mon, let's go give you a bath." As she stood up and took her daughter's hand, she shook her head slightly. Where on earth had her little girl ever gotten such a crazy idea?


	129. And So it Begins

**A/N **I am so sorry for the delay in posting. It has been a long few weeks for my family and me, but things finally appear to be on the upswing. Hope you're all still with me. Here is the beginning of Noelle's launch party.

* * *

Don buttoned up the cuffs on his dress shirt as he walked out of the en suite, but quickly found himself stopping dead in his tracks. As he laid eyes on his wife, he was nearly rendered speechless. She was already in her dress, a floor-length nearly-backless blue-printed charmeuse number that seemed to have been made for her. So he just watched her for a moment as she put on her earrings, a certain pride filling his entire being because she was all his. It seemed to take a minute before he finally managed to speak. "You, uh –" He cleared his throat. "Wow. You look unbelievable."

Noelle finished putting the back on her second earring, then glanced up with a smile. "You like?" she asked, spinning around once to show off the dress, a strappy pair of silver heels also adorning her feet. She had her auburn hair half up, tendrils escaping around her face and the back curled in loose waves and falling just below her shoulders.

"Uh, 'like' is an understatement, doll. I'm pretty much wishing we didn't have a party to get to where your presence would be missed," he said in response, looking her up and down again.

She blushed under his gaze.

Don flashed her his dimpled grin, then grabbed his tie off the bed and draped it around his neck.

"Here, let me," she offered, walking over to him and nimbly tying the new tie she had bought for him, one that might ruin his reputation for wearing those god-awful ugly ties if word got around the department. She bit her lip, trying not to get distracted by how hot he looked in his dark blue pin-striped suit. He was wearing a blue dress shirt underneath, and his tie was a blue, black and silver print. The combination made his eyes stand out even more than they normally did. "There. I'd say you look pretty unbelievable yourself."

He wrapped his arms around her before she could step back, then leaned down and captured her lips in long, languid kiss. "God, I am so proud a' you, Noli. And I want you to make sure you enjoy tonight, huh? I know you're kinda nervous, but just take it all in 'cause you worked real hard for this, and you deserve every good thing that's happening." He kissed her again quickly, then rested his forehead against hers. "Damn. What I wouldn't give to keep you all to myself tonight."

She smiled against him. "I owe this all to you, you know."

"I can't take any credit here, baby. It's your talent and creativity that got this book published. I'm just lucky enough to get to go along for the ride with you. And speaking of which, I guess we should go."

She took a deep breath. "Just promise me you'll stay with me."

"Every step of the way, babe."

Gladly, Noelle then took his outstretched hand and let him lead her downstairs.

Katie was sitting on the armchair, impatiently swinging her feet as she paged through one of her picture books, her white frilly dress with its red sash so far unspoiled, her white shoes with the red bows on the buckle already on her feet. Noelle had curled her chestnut hair in ringlets and she looked so cute that Noli figured she would end up stealing the spotlight.

Tony was in his new grey suit, talking with his girlfriend who was sitting next to him on the couch, all the while fidgeting with his tie. Candice was wearing a light blue strapless dress that fell to her knees, a white shrug cardigan pulled on over top, her normally wavy blonde hair up in a stylish ponytail.

Don could not help but smirk, knowing that Tony's fidgeting had as much to do with the beautiful girl sitting next to him as with the uncomfortable tie he was wearing. "Everybody ready?" he asked.

"We go to the party now?" Katie asked excitedly.

"You got it, cutie."

A couple hours later, the trained investigator in Flack noted that the smaller of the ballrooms in the Plaza where the launch party was being held resembled a high school dance. Noelle's friends and family milled about on one side, various groups huddled together deep in conversation, while on the other side stood "the writer people," as Don had come to refer to them in his own mind. What amazed him was how easily his wife moved from one side to the other, making sure her friends and family members that had come to support her were not bored out of their minds, while doing her best to impress those in the publishing world who were curious about Elle Carmichael's "next big thing." Considering how nervous he knew her to be, she was doing a fantastic job of hiding it, charming all of those to whom she was introduced. As Don stood by her side, taking it all in right along with her, his years of reading people told him that his wife was making quite the impression.

An hour into the party, Jason Cartwright had yet to make an appearance. However, as Danny Messer turned from the bar with a newly replenished drink in his hand, he realized the elusive editor had finally arrived. The way the blond-haired gentleman was eyeing Noelle as if she was dessert was what quickly gave his identity away to the CSI. Messer quickly looked towards Flack to see if he had noticed, but the homicide detective was too busy talking with his wife, Elle, and to whoever the publisher had just introduced them, to have noticed the editor's fashionably late arrival.

Danny set his drink on a nearby table and walked over to where Stella, Mac, and Hawkes were talking with Don's parents, Katie in her grandfather's arms. "Hey, Katie, can you come with me for a sec?" he asked.

Katie's eyes lit up and she let herself be passed from Jump to Danny. "Where we going, Uncle Danny?" she asked excitedly as he walked them a few feet away.

"See that guy standin' over there by the door?"

Katie's expression soured. "'Dat Jason."

"Your mommy's friend?"

The little girl nodded with a pout. "He smile at Mommy."

"Yeah, I get what you mean now. But don't you worry. Uncle Danny's gonna take care of everything, okay?"

"Pwomise?"

"Have I ever let ya down, shorty?"

Katie shook her head.

He kissed her temple then set her down on the ground, sending her back over to her grandparents.

Danny looked back towards Noelle and Flack, making sure they were too wrapped up in their current conversation to witness anything, then he sauntered towards the door where Jason still stood, his gaze transfixed on Noelle. "Hey, how ya doin'? Danny Messer."

"Jason Cartwright," the editor replied a little absent-mindedly, only breaking his gaze after a long moment and turning to the CSI. He took in the shorter man with a hint of disdain, quickly determining from his lack of recognition that he must be one of the cops his protégé had insisted on inviting. "Enjoying the open bar?"

Danny chuckled. "Sure. Though not nearly as much as you're enjoying the scenery."

Cartwright scowled.

"Ya know, I've seen Flack all pissed off, and trust me, it ain't pretty. Now, Noelle, see, she's married. Happily. So, instead of standin' there lookin' like a panting puppy, why don't you put your tongue back in your mouth and set your sights somewhere else, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jason scoffed.

"Please. Even my favourite three year old's figured out your game, man. Now I'm just gonna say this once: you mess with my friends or do anything that could ruin this night for Hansen, and you'll regret it. 'Cause soon as you screw with one member of the NYPD family, you've got the entire department on your ass." Serendipitously, a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne. Danny snagged a glass and held it up to Jason. "Cheers, buddy. Enjoy the party." With that, Danny strode back towards where his wife, Mark and Will and their wives were talking. He just hoped Jason Cartwright would heed his warning.

Noelle spotted Jason just as Danny was walking away. Excitedly, she excused herself and Don from their conversation and eagerly led her husband over to meet her editor. "Jason, you made it!"

"Yes, sorry I'm late. I had some last minute business to attend to," he apologized.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I want you to meet my husband, Don Flack. And Don, this is Jason Cartwright."

Don extended his hand, doing his best to hide the fact that he had already formulated a less-than-desirable opinion about his wife's editor. "Nice to finally meet you."

Jason shook the homicide detective's hand. "You, too Don. Your wife is quite an amazing woman. Though I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that."

Don smiled at his wife, a protective arm wrapping around her waist. "No, I figured that out the first moment I laid eyes on her. Nobody needs to tell me how lucky I am."

Noelle blushed a little.

Elle hurried over then, a hand going to Noli's shoulder. "Noelle, it's time for the reading. Are you ready?"

She took a deep breath, but felt Don's hand gently squeeze her hip reassuringly. "As ready as I'll ever be."

As soon as Elle took to the podium, the chatter throughout the room started to die down.

Don joined his parents, Noelle's, and the kids, obliging and picking Katie up so she could see what was going on then ruffling Tony's hair and earning a glare from his son. He smirked then turned his attention to the riser at the front of the room, where Elle was waiting for the jazz trio that had been providing music throughout the evening to bring their song to an end.

Once the music stopped, Elle greeted the crowd. "Thank you everyone for coming tonight. This is such an exciting evening for Carmichael Publishing as we launch the first book of an author who I believe is about to break the fiction scene wide open. Noelle Flack has been writing for one of our magazines, _Moda Bella_,for over a year, but we quickly realized where her talents truly lie. All of you who have previewed _Best Laid Plans_ agree with me, I'm sure. And for those who have yet to read this fantastic novel, you are in for a treat. I know that this is just the first book of what will be many more from this brilliantly talented author. So without any further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce to you all Noelle Flack."

Noelle's friends and family all clapped loudly, while "the writer people" were a little more polite in their applause.

She took to the podium, trying to calm her nerves. She was grateful she had a solid structure to hide behind, her legs feeling like jelly and her heart pounding. She looked out into the crowd and fortunately, locked eyes with Don. Seeing his proud grin and catching the wink he fired off her way, she found herself relaxing a little – at least enough to speak. "Thank you, Elle. And thank you to all of you for coming this evening. Writing this book has been a dream, and I am grateful to Elle and everyone at Carmichael Publishing for the opportunity. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to adequately express my gratitude for the doors they have opened. And to Jason Cartwright, my amazing editor, who really held my hand throughout this entire process while also giving me the kind of freedom a first-time novelist can usually only hope to have – I owe you so much, Jason."

Don and Danny both found themselves seeking Jason out in the crowd, both glowering at the grin on his face.

"But mostly, I have to thank my family," Noelle continued. "My parents and my brother always encouraged my creativity. But it was my husband, Don, who gave me the courage to quit my job and pursue writing full-time, who promised to make it work, and who never stopped believing in me. It's because of him, and the patience of my two children, Tony and Katie, that _Best Laid Plans _made it from an outline on my computer to the novel being released tonight. I hope you guys know how much I love you." She took a deep breath then, and opened the copy of the novel sitting before her on the podium. And she started to read, finding herself forgetting about the people staring at her, and instead, getting lost in the pages and the characters she had created and fallen in love with along the way.

As Noelle finished her reading, there was a thunderous applause. She felt herself blushing from the praise. She was relieved by the response, especially from those Elle had invited that had yet to read her work. She also felt a surge of confidence.

Don met her as she stepped off the riser, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her temple gently. "You hear that, babe? It's all for you. I'm so proud of you," he whispered in her ear.

"I meant what I –"

Before Noelle could finish her sentence, Jason seemed to magically appear by the couple. "Noelle, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are a couple of late arrivals you need to meet," he said. And before she could insist that Don come along, Cartwright was leading her away.

Don took a breath, fighting back the urge to scowl after the editor. Instead, he headed over to the bar and ordered a scotch.

"Sure that's a good idea?" Danny asked him.

Flack sighed. "I know I got no reason to hate that guy, but –"

"I, uh – I'm not sure that's true anymore, man."

With a furrow of his brow, Don looked over to where his wife and her editor were speaking with a couple Don had not noticed before, then he moved his gaze back to his best friend. "What do you know?"

"You want hard evidence? That I ain't got. But when it comes to my gut..."

"You tellin' me you think Cartwright's after my wife?"

Seeing Flack's entire demeanour change, Danny considered backtracking. However, he knew his best friend was too good of an investigator and it would not take long before he put the pieces together himself. Jason Cartwright was not even trying to be subtle about his adoration for the evening's guest-of-honour. "Yeah."

"Son-of-a-bitch. And here I thought I was gettin' worked up over nothin'." He knocked back the rest of his drink then set the glass on the bar. "If that jerk thinks he's gonna get anywhere near –"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don, c'mon, man. Don't do somethin' stupid. It doesn't matter what Cartwright wants. Hansen's not interested. He'll get the picture. So don't do somethin' that's gonna wreck tonight for Noelle, a'right? You'll never forgive yourself and _she_ – Well, trust me, the last thing you want is a pissed off wife."

"I don't wanna wreck anything for her. But I'm not gonna let him think he's got a snowball's chance in hell, either. How the hell didn't she see this comin'? Or have I been so wrapped up in the job that I didn't notice my wife slippin' away from me?"

"Okay, you guys look way too serious for a party," Emily Prentiss commented as she and David Rossi approached the two detectives. "Something wrong?"

Don just shook his head, frustrated.

Danny appraised the two profilers. "Either of you had a chance to meet Hansen's editor?" he asked curiously.

"You mean the blond Adonis over there with Noelle?" Emily asked. "Not yet. Please tell me he's single."

"To the best of my knowledge," Don muttered. "Excuse me."

The trio watched as Flack headed across the floor and through one of the doors that led out of the ballroom.

"All right. What just happened?" David wondered.

"See the way Cartwright's looking at Noelle? That seem just professional to you?"

David and Emily both glanced over, quickly picking up on what Messer was suggesting – and what had obviously left Don with a bad taste in his mouth.

"Noelle's completely oblivious to it," Emily observed.

"That's what I think, too," Danny agreed. "But Flack's not as convinced."

"Please. Noelle only has eyes for her husband," David stated matter-of-factly. "I had dinner with them the other night. No couple is as committed as those two are."

"It's obvious to _anyone _who knows them. But her editor still seems to think he's got a shot," Emily replied incredulously.

"I still haven't quite figured don't what his game is. But I tried to give him a friendly warning earlier and he chose to ignore it. I don't know what else to do short of pullin' Hansen aside and pointing it out. But I don't wanna wreck her night," Danny explained.

"Well, if Flack doesn't come back in soon, her night's already going to be ruined." Emily glanced around, seeing no sign of any reappearance by the homicide detective. "Danny, why don't you go see if you can find Don and calm him down? I'll take Noelle. David, maybe Mr. Cartwright could use another word?"

"And we thought this party could get boring," Rossi scoffed.


	130. Not What it Looks Like

**A/N **As a reward for your patience the past few weeks, here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy! (Oh, and I know I stole the title from ep 3.2, but it fits...)

* * *

"Danny, where are you going?" Lindsay asked, chasing after her husband as he breezed past her, Mac and Stella.

"I gotta find Flack, make sure he hasn't taken off."

Lindsay furrowed her brow. "Why would he take off?"

Danny hesitated. He did not want to eat up time he was not sure he had, but he also knew better than to leave his wife in the dark. He took her hand and led her out of the ballroom into the quiet of the corridor. "Cartwright seems intent on makin' a move. And I'm not sure Don's convinced that Hansen's as unaware as she is."

Linds was quiet for a moment as she processed everything her husband had told her – and all that he hadn't. She sighed then. "I thought it was weird when he sent her those flowers weeks after her surgery. She just shrugged it off as friendly concern. She has no idea."

"No, she doesn't. She's so into Flack that I don't think she's ever even entertained the thought. But Don clued in real quick tonight and he got tired of watching. I don't know where he went, Montana. And if he left –"

"Noli's going to be heartbroken. _Then_ she'll be ticked. Him taking off suggests he doesn't trust her. But c'mon, we both know that Noelle would never do anything to threaten her marriage."

"Yeah, well, when you're watchin' some other guy give your wife the world, it's a little hard to stay objective, babe."

"Try the suite. Maybe he just went up there to let off some steam. I'll go talk to Noelle. Someone needs to give her a heads up before Jason does something stupid and this night gets shot to hell."

Danny kissed her quickly, then he took off towards the lobby of the hotel, grateful he had not left the house without wearing his badge.

Meanwhile, Lindsay headed back into the ballroom. She saw Emily and Noelle heading out the set of doors on the opposite side of the room which opened onto the terrace. She quickly headed across the room and followed them out.

"Okay, what is so important?" Noelle was demanding of Emily as Lindsay joined them out in the cool night air.

Emily glanced up at Lindsay's appearance and breathed a visible sigh of relief at having received some back-up. "Listen, Noelle, it's about Jason."

"My editor? What about him?"

Emily hesitated for a moment. It was painfully obvious that her friend was completely oblivious to the man's intentions towards her. "Uh, well, see the thing is –"

"No, the guy wants you," Lindsay finally just blurted out.

Emily actually had to stifle a laugh at how blunt Lindsay had been, although it seemed to do the trick.

"_What_?" Noli said a little incredulously.

"You mean to tell me you haven't noticed the way he's been looking at you tonight?" Linds continued. "C'mon, honey, you'd have to be dead. He's looking at you like you'd taste better than chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne."

"Okay, you two have lost your minds. I'm married. Jason knows that."

"Doesn't mean he's dead," Emily added. "Listen, Noelle, trust us, the man is into you. And he's not even trying to be subtle about it. Which means he doesn't give a damn about your marital status."

"You really don't see it?" Lindsay pressed.

Noelle reached up and massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Jason's my editor. And we – we're friends. I mean, we've been working closely together and spending a lot of time together. But – I mean, I'm _married_. And I love Don. My God, I love my husband so much it hurts sometimes. Jase knows that. They _both _know that. C'mon, Jason's – Look, he's interested in someone anyway. He told me. He said…" She trailed off, her eyes widening. "Oh, my God. I am such an idiot."

"Why? What did he say?" Linds pressed.

"He said the woman he was into was unavailable. Or, at least she would be a challenge. And I stupidly told him to go for it because with his money and looks, he'd be able to get any woman he wanted. Oh, God. Oh, God. _I_ did this. _I_ encouraged him!"

"No, honey, you didn't," Emily assured her. "Forget the emails we've fired back and forth for months for one second, okay? All told, I've been in the same room with you and Don exactly _twice_. But I only needed that first night at Sullivan's to know how much you love your husband. _Anyone_ who knows you knows that. You've done nothing to mislead Jason. He's just one of those men who thinks he can have whatever the hell he wants."

Noelle flushed furiously with embarrassment.

Emily and Lindsay glanced at one another, both feeling a little helpless as to what to do for their friend.

Noli walked over and slumped down on one of the wrought iron benches that wrapped around the terrace. "You guys must think I'm so naïve. I just – I mean, I just thought the attention Jason was giving me was nothing more than any other editor would do. It never even occurred to me that he…" She shook her head. "And I never did anything to discourage him. I let this happen. I'm the one who screwed this all up. There's definitely no way I can work with him again. Oh, God, Don's gonna have a field day with this. At least he knows me, right? Of course, that doesn't mean he won't have the urge to pummel Jason if he figures it out, but at least he trusts me enough to not give any of this a second thought."

Lindsay bit her lip, looking at Emily uneasily.

Fortunately, Noelle missed the look that passed between them. She stood up, smoothing her dress before she straightened her shoulders. "I'm going to fix this. I'm going to go talk to Jason, then I'm going to take my husband upstairs to our suite and…Well, you don't need to hear the rest." With determination, Noelle headed across the terrace and re-entered the ballroom.

Emily and Lindsay quickly followed, Lindsay praying that her own husband had found Don and hustled him back to the party before his wife could miss him. Instead, she felt her heart sink as Noelle looked around fruitlessly for both Jason _and _her husband.

* * *

"Jason Cartwright? Noelle's editor, right? We haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet this evening. I'm David Rossi."

Jason swallowed the champagne he had just sipped then appraised the criminal profiler. "David Rossi. Ah, yes. Your book topped the nonfiction bestseller's list for some weeks a few years back, if memory serves. Are you working on something new? I'd be happy to point you towards some terrific nonfiction editors."

"Well, that's very generous. I can see why Noelle thinks so highly of you."

Jason grinned at that. "Noelle. Yes, she's been quite amazing to work with."

"I bet. She's beautiful, isn't she?" David continued to bait the man.

"Stunning. And brilliant."

"Yes. Brilliant. Beautiful. And I don't know if you know this about her, but she can be wickedly funny. The whole package. It's really too bad she's married."

Still not connecting Rossi to Noelle's contingent, Jason smirked. "Just makes the challenge that much more exciting, friend." And seeing no wedding ring on David's hand, he added, "I'm sure you know how it is."

David chuckled. "I do. All too well, I'm afraid. Of course, none of my three ex-wives ever understood that."

Jason smirked. "Yes, well, most women don't. But Noelle…She's not like most women, I have to admit that."

"She really is one of a kind. Too bad she strapped herself down, and with a cop, no less."

Jason took a sip of his champagne. "She could do so much better," he finally said.

Rossi nodded. "Than a detective? Certainly. Although, he _is_ one of the best homicide detectives in the city. Probably the country. And she's always struck me as being very happy. But you've worked so closely with her, I'm sure you know her much better."

Cartwright narrowed his eyes then. "Are you here tonight for professional or personal reasons, Mr. Rossi?"

David smirked. The man was not stupid; Rossi had figured he would catch on before long. Fortunately, Jason had already given him enough ammunition. "That would be _Supervisory Special Agent_ Rossi. And I'm here personally, Mr. Cartwright. See, Detective and Mrs. Flack are two very close friends of mine, and I would _hate_ for anything or anyone to even _attempt_ to come between them."

"Noelle is a grown woman. I'm sure she does not appreciate having others speak for her," Jason argued.

"Noelle is too sweet to have even contemplated that you've been trying to undermine her marriage the past few months. But I'm cynical enough to have seen the signs and you pretty much just admitted your intentions. What was it, Cartwright? Your parents divorce when you were young and neither give you the attention you were seeking? Or, perhaps a married lover promised to leave her husband and then left you in the dust instead? Is that why you have so much disdain for the institution of marriage? Whatever it is, here's some friendly advice. You've now got more than the entire NYPD watching you. You've got the FBI as well. And _no_ one will be happy if Noelle Flack gets hurt. She is not a challenge, _friend_. She is a happily married woman, and she and her marriage deserve no less than the respect which you are going to offer her from here on in. Am I right?"

"You are not here in any official capacity, Agent Rossi; therefore, I owe you nothing. Have a good evening." Jason discarded his champagne flute on the tray of a passing waiter, then turned and headed across the room.

Meanwhile, David grabbed a glass of the bubbly liquid and took a sip. "That went well," he muttered to himself.

**

* * *

**

Danny stepped off the elevator on the fifteenth floor and looked at the brass sign ahead indicating which direction he should take. He turned left and scanned the room numbers until he found 1512. He took a breath then went to knock on the door the suite, only to find it ajar. He pushed it open wider and entered, finding his best friend crouched down in front of the mini-bar, appraising its contents.

Hearing Danny enter, Don glanced up, holding up a couple small bottles of Canadian Club rye whiskey in his hands. "Noli told me that her uncle and her mom used to come across the border for this stuff because it was actually cheaper to buy it here in the States 'imported' than to get it in Toronto. Crazy, huh?" With that, Don straightened up, twisted off the cap of one of the bottles and knocked back its entire contents.

"C'mon, man. You need to get back downstairs before Noelle notices you're gone," Messer explained.

Don scoffed. "She won't miss me. She's got all the writer people. And Jason." He chuckled bitterly. "No, we definitely can't forget Jason. Rich, handsome – according to Prentiss – and successful Jason. The man who apparently only has eyes for _my_ wife."

"Look, Flack, I know you're pissed off. But Hansen didn't do nothin' and you don't want to wreck tonight for her, right? C'mon, I know you love your wife."

"You were right, you know."

Messer furrowed his brow. He noticed his friend swaying a little and he wondered just how many stops Flack had made en route to the suite, or how big of a dent he had made in the mini bar since his arrival. "C'mon, we both know I'm never right. Let's get back downstairs, man."

"No, no, you were right. There's this whole new world opening up to my wife and it's full of things I know nothing about. I'm just a cop. I'm a public servant. I can't talk like those people. I know nothin' 'bout themes and subtext and – My idea of a night out is hangin' out at Sullivan's in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, shootin' pool and watchin' the Rangers or the Yankees. Those – those people downstairs, they got no clue which end of a cue stick to hold onto."

"But Hansen does. Don, just 'cause she wrote a book doesn't mean she's one of them, or that she _wants_ to be one of them. Yeah, she likes champagne. But you know somethin'? She's still the same girl who likes a shot of B&B in her screwdriver and can play a mean game of eight-ball. And she is so in love with you that she didn't see this comin' any more than you did."

"She didn't see this comin', huh? Right. That why she called Jason instead a' me when she was freakin' out about tonight?"

"Don't turn into a moron, man. She called you first. You were in interrogation, remember? Now, she loves _you_. And if you don't get that through that thick Irish skull a' yours, you're gonna screw up the best thing that ever happened to you. 'Cause the way I see it, you keep this up, and your wife's the one who's gonna have the right to be all pissed off. Now you comin' back downstairs or you want me to tell Hansen where to find you?"

Don took a breath. "You really think she didn't see this?" he asked after a moment.

"You seriously gotta ask me that? Have I been talkin' to the freakin' air since I got here or what? Go clean yourself up then I'm takin' ya back down to the party." Messer squared his stance and looked at his best friend pointedly until Flack finally disappeared into the bathroom to straighten himself out.

**

* * *

**

Noelle crossed the room to where her parents were standing with Mac and Stella, and Tony and Candice, Katie in her big brother's arms now, her head on his shoulder. "Have you seen Don?" she asked the group.

"No, sweetheart. He probably just went out to the restroom," her mother replied.

She nodded, smiling at her daughter fighting to keep her eyes open. "Listen, why don't you guys head out? It's getting late and Katie looks like she's just about partied out."

"I no go. I fine," Katie insisted, raising her head and looking at her mother.

Noelle smoothed a hand over her curls. "Did you have a good time tonight, sweet pea?"

Katie nodded with a bright smile. "Aunt 'Tella give me a S'rley Tummy."

"A Shirley Temple?" Noli laughed.

Katie nodded again.

"Was it good?"

"It yummy. I have more?"

"Not tonight, baby. You'll never go to sleep for Gramma Sarah and Grampa Jack. And how're you doing, honey?" she asked her son.

"This has been cool," Tony admitted. "I still get to read your book once school's done, right?"

"Sure, but only if you want to. I'm glad you kids came. It wouldn't have been nearly as special without you. But I really think that my little Katie-bear here needs to go home and put on her pajamas."

"Wha' 'bout Daddy?" Katie asked.

"Good question," Noelle muttered. "Listen, how about I have Daddy call you and say goodnight, okay? The McLeans are expecting Candice home before long and you, little miss, need to go to sleep."

"Daddy call me on the phone?"

"I promise." Noelle kissed her kids goodnight and hugged her parents, then sent them on their way.

"Is everything all right?" Stella asked her friend, noticing the less-than-happy look on her face.

"Sure, everything's just great. My editor's disappeared, I can't find my husband anywhere…Excuse me." Noelle furrowed her brow and headed across the ballroom and out of one of the sets of double-doors that led out into the corridor. She scanned the hall and finally spotted Jason waiting at the coat-check. "Jason!"

Cartwright glanced up as Noelle rushed over to him. "Something's come up," he explained. "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye but I didn't see you."

"I was outside for a moment. Listen, Jase, we need to talk."

"I'm not really in the mood for any more warnings, Noelle."

"Warnings? About what? What are you talking about?"

"Some squint named Messer, David Rossi…Hell, your three year old's been warning me off for weeks." He turned then to accept his long jacket from the coat-check clerk and went to head off.

"Wait, wait, Jason, I think we need to talk about this. Please."

Cartwright sighed, then he grasped Noelle's arm and led her to an out-of-the way alcove down the hallway. "What's there to talk about?"

"Jason, I think I may have misled you or sent some mixed signals. It wasn't my intention but –"

"Noelle, you didn't do anything other than be who you are, and I just happen to find that incredibly alluring. And don't you get that you're too good for this life you're living? There's this whole new world opening up to you and _that's _where you belong."

She furrowed her brow. "I love my life, Jase. My kids, Don, they're my first priority. Anything that happens because of this book, that's just icing on the cake. But I'm not going to suddenly change just because my book got published."

"You really don't get it. What you could be. What you could have. What _we_ could accomplish together." He stepped closer, effectively boxing her in.

Noelle's heart started to pound. But not the way it did when Don was near, when he was about to kiss her. It was that adrenaline rush that comes from fear. "Jason –"

"Think about it, Noli. How incredible we could be." A hand pressed against the wall on one side of her, the other reached up and cupped her face.

Her instinct was to back away, which she could not do. Her second reaction was to push him away, but his mouth was on hers before she managed to get her arms to work.

"You wanna try tellin' me again how much my wife loves me, Dan?"

Jason stepped back and Noelle's head shot up, her eyes wide as she found Don and Danny standing there looking on, her husband appearing angrier than she had ever seen him.

Don glared at his wife for another moment before he stepped forward and grabbed Jason by the lapel of his suit jacket, ready to deck him.

"No, Donnie, don't," Noelle pleaded, though she made no move to jump in between the two men. "Honey, you don't need an assault charge or a suspension over this. Just let him go and we'll go talk. This isn't what you think."

Jason smirked at Flack. "But I appreciate you proving my point."

Don's fist clenched again, but this time it was Danny that stepped in. "Listen to your wife, man. He's askin' for a world of hurt, but you know this isn't the way. At least not here, not now. I'll be happy to escort Mr. Cartwright out. Why don't you and Hansen go up to your suite and talk this out, a'right?"

Flack let Cartwright go. But there was no invitation to his wife to follow as he turned and headed back down the corridor. However, Noelle was not about to let him just leave, so she lifted the hem of her dress and took off after him.

Jason shook his head with a smirk and went to walk off, but Danny was still standing there.

Messer reached out and physically stopped Cartwright from taking another step. "You son-of-a-bitch. What part of leave my friends alone didn't you get?"

"Hey, I was trying to leave the party. Noelle's the one who stopped me," Jason replied, his hands flying up in an act of innocent surrender.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't so you could maul her. I should write you up on an attempted assault charge."

"You just try. I've got friends in places you'd never even think to look."

Danny glared at him. "It would give me nothing but satisfaction to knock you into next week, but Hansen called it. So how 'bout you just take your homewreckin' ass outta here before I change my mind?"

"It's going to take Noelle all of five minutes to realize that she's better than this and I'm a very patient man." With that, Jason walked past Danny and left.

Out in the lobby, Noelle saw her husband get onto one of the elevators. She really could not blame him for stalking off considering what he had seen, but she also found herself growing angry at his refusal to stop and listen to her, to let her explain. He was supposed to trust her. She took a deep breath and continued her path after him, walking over to the bank of elevators and slamming her finger onto the up button. She rummaged through her clutch for the key card Don had given her once he had checked in before the party began, finding it just as the elevator arrived. And on the long ride up to the fifteenth floor, she braced herself for what she was about to find.


	131. Fireworks

**A/N **This is probably one of the longer chapters I have ever written, but it is my favourite. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

By the time the elevator had climbed fifteen floors, Noelle had gone from feeling apologetic for what her husband had witnessed to utterly irate at his apparent inability to trust her and let her explain. She had spent the past nearly two years being a loving and supportive partner, never giving him any reason to think she would ever be unfaithful, and at the first test he had suspected the worst. She was shaking so much by the time she reached Suite 1512 that it took her two attempts to get the key card to work. Once it did, she entered into the sitting room and promptly slammed the door shut.

Don was pacing by the large floor-to-ceiling window on the other side of the room, looking like he would like nothing else than to put his fist through something, when the sound of the slamming door pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced up, his expression not softening in the least at the appearance of his wife. His suit jacket was gone, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened, but he was anything but relaxed and ready to settle in for the night.

For a moment, neither spoke, the tension as thick at it had ever been between the couple. Finally, Noelle broke the silence by pulling her cell phone out of her clutch and tossing it onto the couch that separated the two. "Call your daughter. She wanted to say goodnight but since you just took off, she didn't have the chance."

"_My _daughter. Interesting choice of words there, sweetheart. You're already half gone, aren't ya, Nol?"

Any sympathy she had started to feel was lost with his biting words. Noelle's eyes narrowed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? So you can right. You've already decided I screwed this all up, right? And you just hate to be wrong. Don't you, Detective?"

"Oh, I ain't wrong about this one, sweetheart. I deal with facts and evidence, remember? Well here's the facts: I just saw _my _wife lockin' lips with another man. For Chrissakes, Noli. Your freakin' editor! Are you seriously gonna stand there and try denying it?" he fired back.

"Not that I should have to defend myself when I have _never _given you _any _reason over the past two years to doubt me, but what you saw was _Jason _kissing _me_. And I was just about to push him away when you spoke up. Damn it, Don. I would _never_ betray you. So quit acting like this was the last straw in a series of events that prove I'm some cheating, god-awful wife."

Don closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm himself down.

Unfortunately, Noelle's temper was just as fiery as her husband's, and she took his silence as further evidence of doubt and mistrust. She also did not know how to quit while she was ahead. "Or maybe you've just been waiting for an out, huh? Is that what this is? And you think I just handed it to you? One kiss? Is that all it's gonna take for you?"

He quirked an eyebrow then. She was getting a little too defensive for him to feel apologetic. Her arms were crossed over her chest, the gold flecks in her hazel eyes shimmering like flames. Neither one of them were very good at digging themselves out, it seemed. "You know, you're sounding a little too guilty there, sweetheart."

"Guilty? I have done absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, Donnie."

"Well, it sure wasn't lookin' all that innocent from where I was standing."

"Why were you in the hall to start with, anyway? Nobody knew where the hell you had taken off to, so I was out looking for you! You just disappeared from the party. It's the biggest night of my life, and you just disappear? Why? You couldn't care less?"

"No, I just got tired of watchin' your _editor_ look at you the way only I'm supposed to be allowed to. And you did _nothing_ to discourage him. You were enjoying it too much, huh? All the attention? That of your husband and kids not enough for you anymore?"

"You jerk!" She walked over and snatched her phone back up. Standing just a couple feet from him, he may have had a few inches on her, but she was an equal when it came to stubborn determination. "If that's what you think, you can just get the hell out of here because I've got no desire to speak to you anymore! Go sober up, Don! _Then_ maybe you'll get a clue and realize that the only thing I did wrong tonight was think that you trusted me." She spun on her heels and headed towards the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Don stood there, not quite sure what had just gone down. Part of him wanted to go after her, but one thought back to what he had seen throughout the evening every time Jason looked at his wife, and then the kiss he had witnessed, and the sting to his pride had him turning the other way. He grabbed his wallet and keys, then he too slammed the door on his way out.

The ride back down in the elevator, however, was torture for Don. In the nearly two years they had been together, he and Noelle had never been so far apart. They had fought as a team against everything that had been thrown at them, which had been a lot in such a short time. But they had never once turned on one another – until tonight. They had always held on, put up a united front, supported one another. But Noelle had been right: at the first real test, he had failed. Miserably.

The elevator doors opened, and the first thing Flack laid eyes on was Jason Cartwright. He was standing across the lobby, talking with a couple women Don had seen earlier inside at the party. Cartwright had his coat on, obviously on his way out, and all of a sudden, Don had a flash – he saw the kiss again, only this time, it was without the veil of his anger or jealousy. _"Jason kissed me." _Infused with rage unlike anything he had ever felt before, he crossed the lobby like a shot from a canon and had Jason pinned back against the far wall before anyone knew what was happening, his forearm nearly cutting off the editor's air supply as it pressed against his throat.

The two women Jason had been speaking with gasped, and a few people passing through the lobby stopped to take in the scene.

"Careful, Detective, or I'll have you slapped with a harassment charge before first light," Jason warned, a sneer on his face, despite the fact that Noelle's husband definitely had the upper hand – at least physically.

"You son-of-a-bitch. You go right ahead. And I'll counter with an attempted assault charge on behalf of my wife. And if you think Noelle will try and stop me, you obviously didn't see the look in her eyes earlier when you damn near attacked her," Flack shot back.

"Don – What the hell's going on?"

Both men glanced over to see Mark approaching them, Jennifer, David and Emily just a couple feet behind.

"I wish Noelle was here to see this. She would see what a low-life she's married to," Jason taunted Flack.

Don smirked. "Why don't you tell Noelle's brother what you tried to do to her earlier in that alcove? I'm sure he'll be oh so happy to kick me out and welcome _you_ into the family after that."

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked, his fist clenching at what his brother-in-law had merely suggested.

It took everything in him, but Don finally stepped back, letting Jason go. He wanted nothing more than to mess up the pretty boy's face, but Jason had already made threats about a harassment charge. And if Flack actually hit him, he figured Cartwright was the type to walk into the nearest precinct and cry police brutality. Apart from that, Don was realizing with each passing moment that the person who merited his attention right now was his wife, and wasting his time on this jerk was taking time away from making things right with Noelle. "Don't worry, Mark, this bastard's never gonna get the chance to mess with me or Noelle again. We'll be speaking with Spencer-Carmichael about the inappropriate behaviour she experienced tonight. Now get the hell outta here, Jason."

"You try messing with my career and you'll be sorry you ever met me," Jason threatened.

"Buddy, I was sorry about four hours ago. You think you scare me? Seriously? I spend my days dealing with the scum of this city. Trust me, there's nothing about you that scares me."

"You think you're tough just because you of that badge you wear, but you're a nobody, Flack. Noelle's gonna wake up one day very soon and figure that out all on her own."

"My wife knows everything there is to know about me, and she's never had any complaints. Meanwhile, you backed her into a corner and mauled her. I'm just sorry now that I interrupted. Another twenty seconds and she woulda laid you out flat and done more to mess up that pretty face a' yours than I could ever dream of. How would that have made you feel, huh? A small thing like her, and she woulda knocked you on your ass before you ever knew what hit ya. If you don't believe me, Mark's got a couple stories he'd love to tell ya. That woulda made a great lead in for Page Six, right? _Editor taken out by novelist_. Man, if I only had a time machine –"

Jason snapped and took a swing.

Unfortunately, Don caught an upper cut to his left eye before he was able to react. However, he got one very satisfying punch in before David and Mark jumped in and separated the two.

"Get outta here, Cartwright," David warned. "You have no less than four witnesses who saw you throw the first punch. You're done here."

A hand over his bloody nose, surely broken, Jason straightened himself up and ambled out of the hotel.

"Danny told us what happened earlier, but he didn't say anything about an attack. He really go after my sister?" Mark demanded of his brother-in-law.

Don sighed. "He kissed her, caught her off guard. But if I thought I could actually charge him with something, trust me, I woulda had him in cuffs."

"How's Noelle?" Jennifer asked worriedly.

Flexing his now-aching hand, Don shook his head. "She woulda been fine if I hadn't messed everything up. I went off on her, she yelled back, then she threw me out."

Mark raised his eyebrows, stepping up to his brother-in-law. "Then you go fix it. Or we're gonna have a problem, Don. Tonight was supposed to be one of the biggest nights of her life and if you ruined it for my sister –"

"You don't need to pull the big brother thing, Mark. I know how badly I screwed up. And now it's up to me and Noelle to work it out."

"Then work it out. C'mon, Jen, the sitter's gonna be wondering where the hell we are." With a final warning glare aimed at his brother-in-law, Mark escorted his wife out of the building.

Don chuckled bitterly as he looked at David and Emily. "I'm sure you both got some choice words for me as well?"

"Something tells me that you and Noelle only fought so bitterly because you feel so deeply," David commented. "You'll work this out. But I must say, it was rather satisfying seeing you throw that punch. I've been wanting to do that since my conversation with the jerk earlier this evening."

Flack shook out his hand. "Yeah, well, I wish it had been you. I'm gonna be feeling this for days."

Emily shook her head. "Boys will be boys. Thanks for an…interesting evening."

Don rolled his eyes.

"You should be very proud of your wife. Most of the guests had no clue about all of the drama taking place outside and from what I heard, Noelle was a smashing success." She patted his arm as she walked past him, adding, "Fix this, Flack. Or believe me, I _will_ have some choice words for you."

He nodded. "Thanks for making the trip. It meant a lot."

David clapped him on the shoulder. "Never a dull moment. New York really is a hell of a town. Farewell for now, my friend."

Don watched them walk off, then he took a long, deep breath. He had no idea what awaited him upstairs, but he knew he could not let this sit. He had said a lot of things in the heat of the moment, and the longer Noelle sat with them, the worse it was going to be.

However, before he went, he pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket and dialled the number for his in-law's cell.

"Hello?" Noelle's mother answered a moment later.

"Sarah. Hi, it's Don. You're still in the car, huh?"

"Yes, we just dropped Candice off and now we're on the way back home."

"Is – Uh, Katie still awake? Noli said she wanted to say goodnight."

"She dozed off as soon as we pulled out onto the street. You know that little one," Sarah laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. Shoulda guessed. If, uh – If she wakes up, you can call me, okay? I mean, if she wants. Otherwise, just tell her – Tell her Daddy loves her. Tell Tony too, huh? Well, toughen it up, 'cause he's almost sixteen, right?"

"Of course, Don. Is everything all right? You sound –"

"Everything's fine, Sarah. We'll see ya tomorrow." Not wanting to be grilled by his mother-in-law about the pain he'd put her daughter through tonight, he ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket.

**

* * *

**The silence nearly deafening, Noelle opened the door to the bedroom and looked out into the rest of the suite, her heart sinking when she found it empty. Although she had heard the front door slam earlier, part of her had hoped it had just been an act, or that Don had returned and she had just not heard him. Realizing that he was really gone, her anger returned.

She had changed out of her dress, but could not bring herself to put on the silky nightgown she had brought with her in anticipation of the celebratory night she had thought they would have. Instead, she had put on the faded jeans and the light sweater she had planned on wearing home in the morning. She wrapped her arms around herself as she curled up on the sofa in the sitting room, the beautiful view of Central Park behind her of no interest. The tears started to fall and she wiped them away fiercely, mad at herself for crying when she should be furious. But she cried anyway.

It seemed like an eternity before she heard the click of the key card and the door opening. She sniffled and used the back of her hand to brushed her tears off her face, then found herself squinting against the light as Don flipped the switch inside the door and they came face-to-face.

Don took one look at his wife and felt his heart shatter. Her eye make-up was smeared and it was obvious from the red blotches on her face and neck that she had been crying. He felt even guiltier than the ride up in the elevator had made him, knowing with more certainty that if anyone had had the right to be mad tonight, it was her. He knew he had been a jerk, and the fact was, he was now angrier at himself than anything. "Jesus, Nol…"

As he stepped closer, Noelle noticed the bruise forming above his left eye. "What happened to you?" she asked, realizing too late that some concern had slipped into her tone.

He realized she was speaking of the result of his fight with Jason, and just shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

"Sure. Just great."

He took a breath before he closed the distance between them, sitting down on the edge of the coffee table in front of the couch where she was sitting. "I know a simple 'I'm sorry' isn't gonna fix this."

"I don't know because I don't even know what happened tonight, Donnie."

"What happened is that I got jealous and jumped to conclusions."

Noelle furrowed her brow. "I don't – I don't get why you would be jealous of Jason. I'm _your_ wife."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm not proud of it, but yeah, I was jealous."

"No matter what he wanted, as far as I was concerned, Jason was just my editor. Maybe a friend. But –"

"He wanted to be a hell of a lot more than your friend."

"But _I_ didn't want to be anymore than _his_ friend, and isn't that all that matters? Look, I'm sorry. I never meant for things to get out of the hand the way they did. I didn't – I thought – When he sent those flowers, I thought it was what any other editor would do. His interest, I just – I didn't see it, Donnie. I just didn't see it. I know that sounds naïve, but before you – I held everyone at arm's length, I never had a lot of experience with guys and then since you, well – You're all I see. I never even considered that maybe he'd be interested in me and I just –"

"You're rambling," he teased her.

Her brow creased in frustration.

"Listen, you ain't got nothin' to apologize for or to explain. I'm the one who screwed up here, okay? I got jealous and let my pride get in the way of fixing things earlier. I didn't mean any of the things I said, all right? I swear, Nol. And I'm sorry that instead of taking care of you after Jason cornered you downstairs, I let my ego and my insecurity get between us."

"He didn't hurt me," she said quietly, lowering her eyes.

"Not physically, but he took advantage of your trust."

"It doesn't matter. Jason's not a factor anymore." She looked up at him then. "What did you mean just now, your insecurity? Donnie, what could you ever feel insecure about? I'm _your_ wife. I love you. You know that."

"Yeah, and you're about to get thrown into this whole different world that I just can't relate to."

"People keep saying that about this new world, but baby, I'm the same person I was yesterday and I'll be the same person tomorrow. I'm still the woman who loves you more than anything, who loves our kids and our life and our dog…I wrote that book because it gave me more time to spend with you and it allows me to be at home with our children and because I love being creative. Not because I was looking for a way out of the life we've built together. And I would've – Donnie, I would've stopped if I thought for one second that you –"

"No, babe, don't say it. This is mine to figure out and to deal with. You've done nothing wrong. I'm sorry, okay? Tonight was supposed to be this great night for you and –"

"Don't say you ruined it because we both had a hand in things going wrong."

Don took a breath. "I've never seen you look so beautiful and so confident. And I've never been more proud of you than I was tonight. And I'm sorry things went bad."

She nodded. "Me, too." She reached up then and gingerly touched his cheek just below where the bruise was starting to really show. "What happened?"

"Jason was in the lobby when I got off the elevator," he admitted.

"Donnie…"

"He threw the first punch. But I ain't gonna deny that I baited him. I just – I took one look at him and I realized what had really happened when he kissed you and I just lost it."

"I won't re-sign with Carmichael."

"No, babe, don't burn that bridge just because of tonight, okay? Trust me, Jason's not gonna want to work with you anymore than you want to work with him, so you'll just get a new editor. Turning this into some big deal could wreck what you've been building and I don't want your career to come to a screeching halt before it even gets off the ground. Things never woulda gotten so out of control if I hadn't steered the train off the tracks. I don't want you suffering because of my screw up."

She reached over and cupped his face in her hands. "I never thought anything could ever make you jealous."

"Then you've underestimated how much I love you, Nol."

"You don't ever have to be jealous, Donnie. Nothing will ever take me away from you. Please tell me that you believe that. I need to know that you trust me."

"I trust you, doll. I do. I never didn't. I think what I didn't trust was that I could give you everything you need. But I'm cluin' in to the fact that you probably wouldn't have married me in the first place if that was the case."

She smiled. "The boy's gettin' it."

"Just a little slow on the uptake."

Noelle leaned over and rested her forehead against his. "For the record –"

Noli was cut off by a knock on the door. Don pulled back, furrowing his brow. After the night they'd had, no interruption was welcome. He sighed, getting up and walking over to the door. Glancing through the peephole, he shook his head with a smile then.

"What? Who is it?"

Instead of answering, he opened the door. A room service waiter stood there with a cart containing a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. "Compliments of Ms. Carmichael," the waiter explained.

Don pulled out his wallet and gave the boy a tip, then sent him on his way, wheeling the cart in himself. He picked up the bottle, whistling when he saw the label and realized it was a vintage Cristal. "I'd say Elle has no idea about the fireworks that went on outside her own party," he commented.

"Hopefully she won't want a refund when she finds out," Noelle muttered in response.

"Babe, don't worry, all right? You were a hit tonight. Your book, you…Trust me, I know how to read people, and there was not one person in that room tonight who was not impressed with Noelle Flack. But I gotta tell ya, sweetheart. There's no way you could ever walk into a room and _not_ be impressive, not be noticed."

She rolled her eyes slightly. "You're doing a decent job of digging yourself out of the hole you fell into earlier."

He looked at her seriously then, the bottle of champagne hanging from his hand as he held his arms out, as if holding himself open to her. "I never wanna fight like that again, Nol. Because hurting you – I _never_ want to be responsible for you getting hurt again."

"I said some pretty horrible things, too, Donnie. You can't take all the blame. I'm sorry."

"I guess it was inevitable. Two hot tempers like ours…One day we were bound to crash and burn."

"So long as we made it out of the wreckage." She stood up and walked over to him. "I just want to forget about us fighting tonight. Can't we just have incredibly hot make-up sex and forget about the yelling part?"

A half-grin crept across his lips. "Incredibly hot make-up sex, huh?"

She nodded slowly.

"What about this bottle of champagne? It musta set Elle back a few hundred bills."

"We'll need some refreshment in an hour or two." She took the bottle from his hand and replaced it in the bucket of ice, then grabbed his tie.

"You know, I was really hoping to peel that dress off of you…"

"Well, I'm too horny now to undress and re-dress so you can undress me. You can take me out for a _really_ nice dinner sometime and I'll wear the dress just for you. Then you can peel it off me, okay?" She leaned up and kissed him long and deep, her hands sliding into his hair and pulling him close. "I love you."

"Damn, Noelle, I love you. I'm sorry if you ever doubted that for one second tonight."

She bit her lip. "You know, we've had a lot to deal with since we've been together. But we've always fought everything together. Tonight was the first time I ever remember feeling like I was fighting alone. I'll do anything to never feel like that again. But I just – Donnie, I need you to know something. I need you to believe that I would have discouraged Jason if I had any idea. I swear, I didn't. I know that sounds naïve, but I just didn't."

"I know." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I know."

"And I don't want you to ever think you're not enough for me. Because you're more…Oh God, you're so much more…" She trailed off, unable to find the words – which made her laugh softly. "I'm a writer and I can't put into words what I want to tell you. So, I'll just show you…" And with that, she led her husband into the bedroom where the fireworks that burned for the rest of the night had nothing on the ones that had been set off earlier in the evening.

* * *

**A/N** C'mon, we all knew they were going to kiss and make up. Deep down, I have fluff bunnies in my DNA, you know that! Although, that does not mean that there will be no fall out to deal with.

And…Three chapters, three days! I figured you all should be rewarded for the weeks you endured with no updates. I am terribly sorry about the drought. I will make an effort to keep posts coming regularly from here on in (though they will not be daily). I also appreciate all of the good wishes you have sent my way. While I am still struggling, I am happy to report that my father is making astounding progress after a quadruple bypass and my sister-in-law finally had her surgery last week as well (after being bumped twice and getting very sick). My mom still has surgery pending on her eye, but it will have to wait until the fall once my father is fully recovered. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy my story – I'm not sure what I would do without _When You're Not Looking_!


	132. Making Up

**A/N **A shorter chapter, but after all the drama of the launch party, I thought our favourite couple needed a little down time. Enjoy!

* * *

Don lay awake for a long time just watching his wife sleep, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest and the peaceful smile on her face almost hypnotizing. However, finally accepting that sleep was going to elude him for the time being, he slid out of bed. He pulled on his boxers, and then padded out into the sitting room, taking in the view of Central Park he had considered using the emergency credit card to pay for until Spencer-Carmichael gave the suite to them for the night as a gift. Over the lights of the park and city surrounding it, he felt his right hand aching, reminding him of how fractured his own marriage could have ended up tonight.

He shook his head as he flexed his fingers. He had no idea what had gotten into him, how he had let his temper get the better of him and cloud his judgment as much as it had. He and Noelle had arguments before, of course. Because he left the toilet seat up. Because she forgot to pick his suits up at the dry cleaners before they closed. Because he took a shift after she had told him Mark and Jen had invited them to dinner. But they had never really _fought_. Not like tonight. Not with scathing words and slamming doors. Not so bad that his wife's face wound up tear-stained – and her faith in what they had nearly shattered. God knew that with his Irish temper and her fiery, stubborn streak, they would not make it through the next sixty years without a disagreement or two – or two hundred. But he made a promise to himself that he would never be the source of her tears again. And he sure as hell would never let a third party ever be the cause for either of them to question the commitment they had made.

Don wandered around and slumped down on the couch. How the hell did he – Donald Flack, Jr., arrogant and tough NYPD homicide detective – get so wrapped up in a woman that he could fly off the handle with jealousy? That he could not even contemplate breathing without her? He rolled his eyes slightly. Noelle had turned him from a self-centred, workaholic bachelor to a loving family man who would die before his saw his wife or kids hurt. It was a conversion he would not have believed had he not lived through it – and when all was said it done, there was no amount of money in the world he could be ever be paid to go back.

"Come back to bed."

Don escaped his thoughts with a smile as his wife leaned over the back of the couch and wound her arms around him from behind, her lips quickly latching onto an earlobe, her breath hot against his neck. His left hand reached up to cover her arms as he turned his head and met her lips. As they came up for air a moment later and he realized that she was wrapped up in only one of the bed sheets, he decided the bed was definitely too far away. So in a quick move that caused her to shriek with laughter, he twisted around and pulled her into his arms before pulling her around onto his lap. However, he realized too late that he had counted on his right hand a little too much and was left wincing.

"Does it hurt badly?" Noelle asked, furrowing her brow.

Don glanced down at his bruised knuckles of his right hand, flexing his fingers a little to assess if he had done any further damage before answering his wife's question. "It ain't exactly feelin' good," he confessed.

Noelle gingerly took his hand and brought it to her lips. "I appreciate you defending my honour, but I wish you hadn't gotten hurt in the process."

"Babe, I'll take anything so long as it means _you_ don't get hurt." He leaned up and kissed her slowly, running his good hand through her thick, auburn waves. Considering how far apart they had been earlier, he appreciated the skin-to-skin contact they had now and had shared earlier while they made love.

"I don't want to go on the tour," she sighed as they just sat there wrapped in each other's arms after a few minutes. "I don't want to be away from you."

"I know, babe. But the three week will fly by. And it's not like you're gonna be gone that whole time. I mean, it's a few days gone, a few back before you're off again. And I'm gonna do my damnedest to arrange my shifts so I can get some days off when you're in town, all right?" He nuzzled her neck then looked at her with a gleam in his eye. "Besides, you can't tell me that you didn't get a rush tonight when you were up in front of all those people and they were completely silent and captivated by the words that you yourself had written. And the applause after? C'mon, Noli. That had to feel better than almost anything."

She smirked. "I can think of a few things that give me even more butterflies."

He flashed his dimpled grin. "All right, well other than our best sex."

"Even our worst," she laughed, earning a playful glare. "But also Katie's kisses. Or Tony saying I'm the coolest mom ever."

"Fine. Fine. In the top five then?"

"Top eight, maybe."

"See? And trust me, you're gonna get the same reaction at every stop on your tour. Your book is better than good, doll. And the whole world's about to get to experience it."

Noli sighed then. "You know, maybe it'll be a moot point. Once Elle finds out about what went down with Jason tonight…"

"She won't do anything. You're her golden ticket right now. If she had to make a choice –"

"She'd never dump her best editor over some up-and-comer. Not a chance. Donnie, no matter what either of us may think about Jason right now, he has a _lot_ of clout in this business. People bang down Spencer-Carmichael's doors for the chance to work with him. Hell, I'll be lucky if Brooke doesn't drop me as a client once she gets wind of all this. She and Jason are close and it was only because of him that she agreed to a meeting – and it probably took some convincing on his part for her to even take me on in the first place. If I end up dropped by both my publisher _and _my agent, _Best Laid Plans _may very well be my first and last book."

"There's no way in hell I'll let Cartwright's behaviour tonight screw your career. I promise you that, all right? Besides, the publishing house is still on the hook for this novel, and once it's out there next week, you're going have a bunch of publishers banging down _your _door. That's why Brooke told ya not to jump into signing a multi-book contract with them in the first place, babe, remember? _You're_ going to be the one with the power in a few weeks. And _nothin'_ Jason does because of his bruised ego is gonna take that away from you. I don't want you worrying about any of that, okay?"

She relaxed into his arms. "You always make me feel better."

He furrowed his brow. "Not always."

Noelle scowled for a moment. "If you're referring to earlier, things would have gone a lot differently if I hadn't walked in here with all guns blazing. I didn't exactly give you any incentive to back down."

"Yeah, well, I never shoulda walked away from you downstairs in the first place. Hell, I never shoulda left the party."

"You know, I might have been naïve as to what was going on, but you weren't. And I would not have expected you to feel any different. I know how I would have felt if I was you. You said you were jealous? Well, you're not the only one around here with a jealous bone in your body," Noelle assured him. "All I have to do is think about some badge bunny hitting on you at Sullivan's, or some beautiful witness throwing herself at you, and I want to scratch someone's eyes out."

Don could not help but smirk. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. So you better make sure you tell _anyone_ who shows the slightest interest that you're taken by a very possessive woman. If I hadn't been so blind, that's exactly what I would've told Jason." She shook her head. "I seriously don't get how he ever could've thought I'd be interested anyway. Honestly, baby, all I ever did was talk about you and Tony and Katie."

"It's all about the challenge, sweetheart. For some guys, it's all about the chase."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "But you're not one of those guys, huh?"

"Me? Nah. I'm highly evolved. In fact, baby, as soon as I laid eyes on you, it was all about forever."

"I think you're still drunk," she teased him.

"More likely sleep deprived. Doesn't make it any less true, though." He offered a lazy smile before he leaned up and kissed her gently.

She sighed then as he once again brushed his lips against her neck. "If memory serves, we didn't sleep much the first time we stayed here."

"I think we should make a pact to come back here at least once a year to spend a night alone, away from everything else."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Detective Flack. But I also have another proposal for you."

He pulled back a bit and looked at her expectantly. "I'm all ears."

"A family vacation. Once I'm back from the tour and Tony's finished school for the year. You still have a couple weeks of vacation and we've never really had a family trip together. And some of my best memories from being a kid are the road trips Mom and Dad took Mark and me on. I think we'd seen every fort and historic site this side of the Grand Canyon by the time I was twelve."

Don grinned, definitely in favour of the idea. "A family vacation, huh? Where'd ya like to go?"

"I'm not sure I'd want to put Katie on a plane yet, so maybe we could just pack up the SUV and drive somewhere. What about Toronto? I haven't been up to see Uncle Mike and Aunt Debbie in years, and it would be cool to show Tony and Katie where my mom grew up. We could even go to Ottawa, too. Or head up north to Blue Mountain or something."

"We'll have to get Tony a passport, but I think that sounds great. We could even go camping for a few days. Isn't Northern Ontario supposed to be awesome for camping?"

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "I don't camp, Donnie. My idea of roughing it is a three star."

Don laughed. "That mean fishing's out?"

She narrowed her eyes then. "Detective Don Flack, tough city boy, does not know how to fish."

"You've met my father, right?"

"Oh, my God. You're serious. You know how to fish!"

"I'm a man of many talents, sweetheart."

"Well, I'll curl up with my laptop while you take our children fishing then, because I don't touch reptiles."

"I know I'm not a science guy, but I'm pretty sure fish aren't reptiles."

"Fine. Slimy things."

"All right, no fishing for my beautiful wife. But in all seriousness, I think a family trip sounds like a great idea. I'll put in for some time off in July or August. You know Tony's going to whine about being away from Candice for a week or two, though."

Noelle smiled. "They are _so_ cute together. He just adores her. And he's obviously been paying attention to his dad, because he treats her very well."

"I don't know how he's come through everything he has and stayed so level-headed. But I wish they would stop pushin' Joseph's trial date back so he could finally get some closure there."

"He hasn't talked about him lately. And honestly, I don't think it's gonna really matter one way or another anymore. Tony thinks of himself as a Flack. They way he takes care of Katie, the way 'Dad' slips off his tongue so easily…" Her expression became a little wistful. "Next time we get even close to a knock-down drag-out fight like tonight, let's just wait a beat and remember our kids and how lucky we are to have our family. You know, I was looking around the room tonight and I know you keep talking about this whole new world that's opening up to me, but did you notice that nobody seems very happy in that world? It was like crossing onto some completely different plane every time I walked across the room."

"I gotta say, I'm kinda glad to hear you say that, doll."

"Were you afraid I was going to start dragging you to A-list parties every night? Honey, give me a Torpedo and a game of eight-ball at Sullivan's any time and I will be much happier." She traced her finger down over his cheek then over his lips before she brought her mouth over his for a long, lazy kiss that made her intentions very clear.

Don scooped his wife up in his arms and carried her back to bed where they continued to make up.

Holding his wife close, Don could not deny that he was relieved to hear her admit that she had no desire to hang out with the literary crowd any more than necessary. He also realized how wrong he had been to think that the release of one book was going to turn her into a completely different person. Yes, their lives would probably change. If the book did as well as he expected it would, Tony would probably not have to count on a baseball scholarship to go to a good school, and Noelle would have more freedom with any subsequent books she wrote. However, she would still be the woman he fell in love with. The tough, witty chick who laid a mobster out when he pulled a gun on her. The same strong woman who battled a disease with more courage and determination than he had ever seen. And she would still be the same girl who was more comfortable in a pair of old jeans and one of his shirts than a pair of heels.

As he dozed off, he could not help but think that he would have to tell Danny that when he said he is never right, he was, in fact, very wrong.


	133. On the Defensive

"What's your brother doing here?" Don asked as he pulled into his in-law's driveway, parking his SUV right next to Mark's.

"I don't know. Probably dropping off that plywood for Dad," Noelle replied. She glanced over and noticed the look on her husband's face – an unfamiliar expression. Nerves? _Fear_? She quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"

Cutting the ignition, Flack sat back in his seat with a sigh. "He, uh – He and Jen were in the lobby when Jason and I got into it last night. I kinda had to tell 'em about you and me fighting. Mark wasn't too happy."

"He's my big brother, _and_ an over-protective one at that. You know that. I'm sure he sounded exactly like you would if it had been Laura or Ellie."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he explained. "'Cause if Brian or Sam hurt one of my sisters like I hurt you last night, there'd be a boot print in their ass. So I can't really blame Mark."

"Well, we made up, so you've got nothing to worry about." She unbuckled her seatbelt, then leaned over and kissed him gently. "C'mon. Let's go get our kids and go home. I leave on Tuesday and I don't want to waste any more time thinking about Jason and this whole situation than I have to."

Don nodded in agreement.

Hand-in-hand, the couple walked into Jack and Sarah's home, instantly met with an ecstatic Katie who ran out of the kitchen to greet them. Sarah was soon to follow her granddaughter into the foyer.

"Mommy! Daddy! I have pancakes and G'ampa wead me _Goo'night Moon_ and Tony on the phone 'gain 'cause he talk to Can'ice and you s'posed to come when the number at the front was ten and now it eleven!" she rambled. "And Daddy, why your eye purple?"

Flack picked his little girl up and kissed her cheek affectionately. "Sorry we're late, cutie. And my eye's purple because I did something really stupid and got into a fight with a bad guy."

"You win, Daddy?" she asked with eyes as wide as saucers.

Don noticed his wife roll her eyes beside him, while his mother-in-law pursed her lips. Obviously Mark had filled in Jack and Sarah as to what had transpired in the hotel lobby. Flack looked at his daughter pointedly. "Fighting is a bad thing, cutie. Nobody wins."

"Very after-school special, Dad," Tony kidded as he bounded down the stairs with his cell phone in hand. "What's the other guy look like?"

"That's not important," Noelle cut in.

"Ah, c'mon, Noelle. Dad's as stand-up as they come. The other guy obviously deserved whatever he got."

"That's enough, Tony," Flack chastized, "your ma's right, okay?" Though he fired off a wink at his son that neither his wife nor mother-in-law saw. "Listen, can you take your sister upstairs and get all your gear together? Today's the last day we have to spend all together before Noli heads out on her book tour and we have some stuff we want to run by you guys."

"Yeah, sure. C'mon, squirt."

Don set Katie down and watched as she took her brother's hand and headed up the stairs with him. He turned to his mother-in-law and was about to explain the black eye but stopped at the sound of the back door opening followed by the heavy footsteps of both his brother- and father-in-law. He ran a hand through his hair as he braced himself for the inevitable wrath of Noelle's very over-protective family.

Jack and Mark wandered down the hall, talking amiably as they continued their conversation about the shelving unit Jack was planning to build, oblivious to the arrival of Noelle and Don until they reached the foyer and saw them standing there. For a moment a thick silence filled the air, and Flack thought even Jack's quirk of an eyebrow at the black eye on his son-in-law's face could be heard.

Finally, Noelle shook her head and shot a glare at her brother, who was doing a pretty good job of firing accusatory pointed looks at Don. "Oh, this is just ridiculous! Would you just stop it, Mark?"

"I didn't say a word," Mark replied, his hands flying up in surrender.

"You didn't have to. Look, here's the abridged version. Yes, I was stupid not to see what was happening with Jason, but that didn't give him the right to make a pass at me. And yes, Don shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, but I'm as much to blame for the fight we had as he is, and we worked everything out. Meanwhile, Jason got what he deserved. So, _we _will deal with whatever fall-out happens to come. And before you actually do open your mouth, M, we both know there have been a fair share of doors slammed in this house over the years. And if that's not good enough for you, don't forget that your wife is one of my best friends and she tells me things. If memory serves, you've spent a night or two on the couch in your seven years of marriage." Noelle glanced from her brother to her parents to her husband before releasing a long exhalation. "And that's the end of this discussion."

Don raised his eyebrows – his left one painfully – and could not completely quash the smirk that threatened to curl his lips.

Jack patted his son on the back. "I believe you heard your sister, son."

"Did I say _anything_?" Mark asked defensively.

"As one brother to another…" Don trailed off, his point hanging in the air. "Look, I admit I screwed up last night —big time. And I'm sorrier than you know. But bottom line, I love Noli."

Mark sighed. "Look, if this Jason guy causes you any problems –"

"Just stay out of it, Mark. If there are any ramifications for my career, I'll deal with them. But the last thing I need is my husband cuffing my brother and reading him his rights on an assault charge," Noelle explained. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I got myself into this, I'll get myself out."

"You didn't get yourself into anything, babe. _I'm _the one who broke the guy's nose."

"Cool!" Tony exclaimed. "You actually broke his _nose_?"

"Why Daddy bweak somebody's nose?" Katie asked innocently as the two descended the stairs, Tony carrying the duffel bag with their stuff.

"Because Daddy was an idiot," Don sighed.

Don and Noelle managed to get Katie off the subject of her daddy breaking someone's nose once they asked her about the party. She rambled for most of the ride home about all the people and getting to spend time with all of her aunts and uncles – related and not – and drinking her first Shirley Temple. Tony was busy texting in the back seat throughout the trip, which did not go unnoticed by his parents.

After they reached home, Don and Tony took the overnight bags upstairs to unpack. Noelle got Katie settled in the living room with her crayons and paper after she saw there was some messages on the answering machine in the kitchen. She hit play while she busied herself getting some stuff out of the fridge to throw some lunch together.

"Noelle, it's Remy. I'm so sorry I missed the party last night. My flight was grounded in Milan for three hours thanks to a horrible storm and so, of course, I missed my connecting flight out of Heathrow. I'm still in London, can you believe it? Anyway, I just know that you and your book were a smashing success. I'm on my way to L.A. Call my cell and hopefully we'll be able to connect while you're in town. Love you!"

Noelle rolled her eyes a little with a smile. She loved Remington dearly, but sometimes she had to wonder how they ever became friends. Remy had been married and divorced (or was the second one annulled, Noli mused) three times since they graduated from college. She was a sought-after fashion photographer, and a gypsy. Although she had an apartment in Manhattan, it was usually sublet and she was rarely in the city for more than a few days here and there. She was probably the only friend Noli had who understood the world of which she was about to become a part now that she was a published novelist. However, while Remy thrived in that world, Noelle had no desire to spend any more time in it than what was necessary.

Noli escaped her thoughts as the answering machine beeped and the next message started playing.

"Noelle, listen darling, it's Elle. I need you to call me as soon you get this. We have a big problem, as I'm sure you can imagine. Call me."

She sighed. She abandoned her lunch plans and grabbed the cordless handset off the counter, taking a deep breath before she dialed the number for her boss.

"Elle Carmichael."

"Elle, it's Noelle Flack. I just picked up your message and –"

"Noelle, we have some serious damage control to do. Jason is threatening to quit unless I sever all ties between you and Spencer-Carmichael. Now as much as I hate to grovel at the feet of an editor that can't keep it in his pants, Jason Cartwright _is _responsible for much of this company's revenue the past few years. If we lose him to another publisher…I can't let all of the work of my father and Jerome Spencer go down the drain because of a silly misunderstanding."

Noelle furrowed her brow as Elle finished her rapid speech. She let the 'silly misunderstanding' remark go and guessed the true reason for the call: "So you want _me_ to grovel?"

"I don't want to have to make a choice, Noelle. You're the most brilliant writer we have had the good fortune to publish in years. But if you can't convince Jason to stay with you on board as well, then I'm afraid there won't be any multi-book deal with Spencer-Carmichael in your future. Of course, we'll honour our current contract to promote _Best Laid Plans_, but –"

"I understand," Noli sighed.

"Good. Call me back once you've fixed this." Click.

Noelle shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"Hey, babe, listen I was thinkin'…" Don trailed off as he walked into the kitchen and took in the expression on his wife's face. "What's going on?"

"I either have to convince Jason not to quit if I stay at Spencer-Carmichael, or kiss any further contracts with the publishing house goodbye."

Flack narrowed his eyes. "Like hell. Look, if that's how Carmichael's gonna play it, then screw them. Ride out your contract, finish the tour, then Brooke can find you some other publisher."

She laughed bitterly. "Yes, because it's _that_ easy."

"Nol, your book is good. There's a review in the _Times_. Tony showed me. And it's a damn good review. Babe, you've got the power here, not Elle, not Jason."

"And if I can't get another deal? If nobody wants to touch me because of whatever story gets out there…?"

"Then we file a sexual harassment suit against Cartwright."

Noelle's eyes widened. "Donnie…"

"What? He put his hands on you!" Don pointed out angrily. "He doesn't get to win here. So this threatening to quit unless you're tossed out on your ass? There's no way in hell I'm letting you scrape and bow at his feet when he's the one that crossed the line."

She sighed. "How did things get so out of hand?"

Don walked over to his wife, his hand brushing her hair off her face and lingering against her cheek. "You didn't do anything wrong, No. Cartwright's the one who screwed this up when he tried to come between us even though you had made it very clear on numerous occasions that your family was your first priority."

She nodded slowly.

"I know how hard you've worked for this. I'm not gonna let anything take it away from you."

"I have forty-eight hours before I leave for the first leg of the tour. I have to fix this, Donnie. And I don't know how."

He drew her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "We'll figure this out, babe. I promise."


	134. Allies

Noelle sighed as she glanced at the clock. She had barely slept, waking every hour on the hour it seemed – and that was after it took three hours to even get to sleep the first time. Apart from being overtired, she was angry and bitter. She should have been celebrating what had been deemed a successful book launch. Tony had shown her the review of her novel on the _New York Times _website and the glowing review had nearly brought tears to her eyes, especially when she saw the excited and proud expression on her son's face. However, instead of being excited herself and anticipating the promotional tour, she was stressing about the fact that her multi-book deal was about to be lost because her editor was a jerk.

She actually had used much more colourful language to describe Jason throughout her sleepless night. In fact, she was positive she had called him every name in the book in her head by now. And the more she thought about the entire situation, the more she realized that Don was right. It was not even pride that made her cringe at the thought of doing what Elle suggested and begging Jason to stay. It was principle. She was the one who had been wronged. Jason had admitted himself that she had done nothing to encourage his advances. So why should she have to go against everything she believed in just to keep a book deal? Unfortunately, walking away from Spencer-Carmichael was a huge risk, one that could potentially end her career. The fact that her agent had not returned any of her calls the day before was making her more nervous about taking that risk.

"Have you slept at all?" Don asked, his voice laced with sleep as he rolled over and saw his wife staring up at the ceiling.

Noelle escaped her thoughts and turned onto her side. Looking at her husband, backlit only by the hint of a sunrise coming in around the blinds, she quipped, "It true that Linds could make a homicide look like a suicide?"

Flack chuckled softly. "That's our long-running joke. Not sure I want to put her to the test, though, especially if it means my beautiful wife could go down for conspiracy to commit someday." He moved closer, drawing her into his arms. "There's a way out of this that doesn't involve murder, babe."

"I know." She tucked her head underneath his chin and treasured the warmth she felt when his arms were around her. Being wrapped up in him always made her feel safe and confident. She sighed. "Can we just stay here forever? Just eat, sleep, and make love?"

"That sounds like heaven, doll. But here's the thing. The woman I married, she's never run away from a fight. And in the grand scheme of things, this is nothin' like taking a DNA test to find out who her real father is, or taking down an armed mobster, or flying half-way across the world to get to the truth about her daughter." He kissed the top of her head. "Just remember, you're not fightin' alone. So close your eyes and try and get some sleep, huh? I'll get up with the kids."

Noelle was too tired to argue and soon she drifted off.

Half an hour later, Don was down in the kitchen making coffee when his son came bounding down the stairs, dressed and ready for school.

"Why _Canada_?" Tony asked through a mouthful of cereal a short while later.

Don finished pouring himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee then glanced over at the kitchen table at his son. "You make it sound like we're taking you to the wilderness or something. We're talking Toronto. And probably Ottawa. Noelle wants you and Katie to see where her mother grew up. And I can attest to the fact that Toronto's a very cool city."

"You know Noelle's just trying to convert us to Blue Jays fans, right?"

Don chuckled. "That's right. It's some big conspiracy to get you rooting for the Jays and the Leafs."

"Never gonna happen, Dad. I'm all about the Yankees and the Rangers. _Maybe _I'll consider playing for the Mets. Depends how many zeroes are on the contract."

"You got a back-up plan there, man?" Flack laughed.

"Sure. NYPD Chief of Detectives."

"That's my boy."

They both heard the sound of little footsteps on the stairs then, and Katie soon appeared in the kitchen doorway, moments later joined by Rocco. "Daddy?" she said, rubbing her eyes. "My tummy hurt."

Don furrowed his brow, walking over and crouching down in front of his daughter. He reached over and felt her forehead, relieved to find it cool. "Where does it hurt, cutie?"

Katie lifted her Winnie the Pooh pajama top and pointed around her belly button.

"Hmm. Anything else hurt?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want to try to eat some cereal, or do you have butterflies in your tummy, too?"

She shrugged. "Where Mommy?"

"She's still sleeping. Here, why don't you come sit in your chair and I'll get you a little something to eat. Maybe that will make you feel better, huh?"

Katie shook her head again. "I go get Mommy. _She_ make my tummy better." Katie turned to go.

Clueing in, Don reached out and scooped his little girl up into his arms. "I think maybe your tummy hurts because you're sad about Mommy leaving tomorrow."

Katie's brow creased.

"Mommy's only gone a week, then she'll be back for a couple days before she leaves again. And while she's gone, she's gonna call you every day and write emails that I'll read to you. I promise, the next few weeks are going to fly by and you're gonna get to do all sorts of cool stuff with your grandparents and Uncle Mac even said you can come hang out at the Lab…"

"I go with Mommy," she announced rather pointedly.

"Then Tony and me are gonna miss Mommy _and _you!" Don replied.

Katie raised her eyebrows. "I not want you miss me, Daddy." She pursed her lips. "Why not me and Tony and you go with Mommy?"

"Because Tony has to go to school and I have to go catch bad guys. But remember what we talked about yesterday? As soon as Tony's finished school for the year and Mommy's tour is over, we're gonna all go on a trip, just the four of us. How's that sound?"

She shrugged in resignation. "k."

Don kissed her cheek. "How 'bout some Honey Nut Cheerios?"

"Pancakes!" she countered.

"You had pancakes yesterday, cutie."

"Not Daddy's pancakes."

Flack smirked. "Nice try." He carried her over and got her settled in her booster seat for breakfast.

A few hours later, while Katie played with some of her dolls and Don read through the newspaper in the living room. Noelle was in the kitchen doing some work on her laptop. She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell phone started ringing. She grabbed it and breathed a sigh of relief when Brooke's number popped up on the call display before bringing her phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Noelle, it's Brooke. I got your messages. I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday. What's going on?"

Noli bit her lip for a moment. The fact that Brooke had not already heard what had happened from Jason himself actually made her feel a little better. Maybe she had an ally after all. "I don't really know where to start…" But with that, she launched into her side of what happened, from her confrontation with Jason, to the fight Don and Jason had in the hotel lobby, to Elle's demand. She then steeled herself against the silence on the other end of the line, wondering if she was about to lose her agent, too.

"Selfish prick," Brooke muttered.

Noelle's eyes widened a little. After all, from her understanding, Brooke and Jason were not just industry acquaintances, but actually friends. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, Noelle. I probably should have warned you. This isn't the first time Jason's crossed the line. He seems to think he can get whatever he wants. And because of all of the so-called 'friends' he has made in the business, he usually either gets it or he gets away with it," Noli's agent explained. "Listen to me. Your book is good. Did you see the review in _the Times_? That's just the beginning. Once it's released nationwide tomorrow, it's going to fly off the shelves. And every publishing house in this city is going to want you. Trust me. And if they don't, well, we'll take our profits from _Best Laid Plans_ and independently publish your next book. That's how much confidence I have in your future in this business."

Noelle was a little overwhelmed – and more than surprised – by Brooke's reaction. She had mentally prepared herself to lose her agent on top of everything else. To know that Brooke's loyalty was with her and not Jason made her believe that maybe this situation was not as dire as she thought it to be. "I don't know what to say."

"Say that you're not going to apologize or grovel to that man. Jason Cartwright's an ass, and it's about time that someone stood up to him. You're going to turn Elle down and in a few weeks, when your novel is the talk of the industry and Spencer-Carmichael's golden goose, they're going to come crawling back to _you_, groveling at _your_ feet. And you can decide then whether or not you want to throw Elle Carmichael's ultimatum right back in her face."

Noelle considered for a moment. "You sound like my husband."

"He's a smart man, that Detective of yours," Brooke quipped. "Seriously, Noelle, I don't want you worrying about this. Go out on your tour and sell your book, and by the time you get back, you'll have your choice of publishers."

"You have made me feel a lot better. Thank you."

"I'm just speaking the truth, my dear. Listen, I didn't take you on as a client because of Jason. I took you on because you're damn good at what you do. You're not to worry about this anymore, you hear me? I'll deal with Elle Carmichael."

"Thank you, Brooke."

"I'm just doing my job. We'll be in touch, all right? Don't think I'm abandoning you while you do this tour, especially since it's on Spencer-Carmichael's dime."

Noelle finished up her call and set her cell phone aside, releasing a breath she had not even realized she had been holding. She then nearly jumped out of her chair when she noticed Don standing in the doorway. A smile crossed her face at the smirk on his. "Am I about to hear an 'I told you so?'"

Don shrugged. "Would I say something' like that?"

She laughed softly. "Right. Brooke and you are on the same page."

"There ya go." He walked over and sat down in the chair beside hers at the table. "I gotta admit, I'd still like to slap that bastard with a sexual harassment suit."

"The last thing we need is to spend money we don't have on a lawsuit we probably wouldn't win," Noli pointed out.

"You have witnesses, both to what Jason did to you and to what he said when he and I were fighting."

"Right. An NYPD CSI, my brother, his wife, and two FBI agents. None of them are exactly impartial."

"I'm just saying it's an option. The suit alone would be enough to do some serious damage to Cartwright's reputation, win or lose."

Noelle furrowed her brow.

"Look, I know you. Intimately." He waggled his eyebrows, eliciting a small smile and some colour in his wife's cheeks. "I know you're not vengeful. So we'll leave this alone for now. But if it comes down to your career or his, don't be so quick to say no."

She nodded. "Okay, that's it. Jason Cartwright has had way more of my attention than he deserves. I'm leaving tomorrow and I want to spend every moment I can with you and our little girl, and Tony when he gets home from school. It's a beautiful day outside. How 'bout we take Katie and Rocco out for a walk?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go get our little genius." He leaned over and kissed her gently before he pushed his chair back and got up, heading into the living room to gather Katie and Rocco.

Noelle went to boot her laptop down until she noticed the mail received icon in her taskbar. She maximized her Outlook and clicked on her Inbox. There in bold, a new email message from Jason Cartwright was staring her in the face, subject line: Need to talk.


	135. Collateral

Noelle bit her lip as she rode up in the elevator to the seventeenth floor of the Manhattan skyscraper. It was a familiar trip, one she had made countless times over the past eight months, yet she had never been so nervous. Not even the day she met with Elle Carmichael for the first time about her book did her heart pound like it was doing right now, like it might come flying out of her chest at any moment. No, this time, she spent the entire ride trying not to talk herself out of what she was about to do, trying to convince herself instead that this was the best way to handle the situation.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple as she leaned back against the wall of the elevator. Part of her wished that she had deleted the email as soon as she saw it in her inbox. Instead, she had opened it, read it – and then re-read it a hundred times. Then she had been incredulous at Jason's nerve and muttered a few choice words she would never want Katie to hear. And for a brief moment, she had considered not telling Don, knowing how irate it would make him. However, she knew better than to keep anything from him. So when he walked into the kitchen ready for their walk, she had turned her laptop and directed him to read the email on the screen:

To... Noelle Flack

Cc...

Subject: Need to talk

Noelle,

This entire situation has obviously gotten out of hand. I want you to know that I am willing to forget the whole thing, and put all of this behind us and move on. However, I think we should meet and discuss this in person. If you are willing, come by my office this afternoon. I will be here until 5:00pm.

Jason

_Jason Cartwright, __Senior Editor_

_Spencer-Carmichael Publishing Inc._

_(212) 555-4890_

She furrowed her brow as she recalled the look in her husband's eyes after he had read the missive. It was a look normally reserved for the interrogation room, when he was faced with a remorseless killer. His anger told her that he should never allowed within a hundred feet of Jason Cartwright, and had nearly convinced her to leave the whole thing alone, go on her tour and try to forget that Jason had ever been a part of her life. But instead, she was here.

The elevator finally finished its ascent, the doors opening onto the offices of Spencer-Carmichael's senior staff. A large mahogany desk sat straight ahead, a receptionist Noli had never seen before manning the area and talking into the headset she was wearing. Noelle took a deep breath, then walked over and drummed her fingers atop the desk while she patiently waited for the young woman to finish her call.

"Yes?" the receptionist asked moments later, her tone suggesting that Noelle was causing some great disruption to her day.

"I'm here to see Jason Cartwright."

"Mr. Cartwright doesn't have any meetings scheduled this afternoon."

Noli sighed. "I didn't schedule a meeting. He told me to stop by. You know something? Forget it. I don't need you to announce me. I know how to find him." And with that, Noelle turned and headed down the hallway towards Jason's office. Reaching the door, she took one last breath for courage, then rapped a couple times on the ajar door before stepping inside, appearing much more confident than she felt. "I'm here, Jason. You said you wanted to talk? Well, let's talk."

Jason glanced up from his computer in surprise. However, a smirk quickly crossed his face. "Noelle. Fiery as ever. But I thought the whole point of this visit was to put any hostility behind us."

She took in the bandage across his nose. In spite of herself, a hint of sympathy entered her tone as she asked, "It broken?"

"I'll live." He stood then, smoothing his tie down over his dress shirt as he did. "It's good to see you. Honestly, I'm a little surprised. I wasn't sure you'd come."

"You say you want to put all of this behind us."

"You sound unconvinced. Suspicious, even. You've been hanging around the NYPD for too long," he commented, sidestepping her comment.

"Elle called me yesterday, saying you were threatening to quit unless she rescinded the offer she made me and booted me out of Spencer-Carmichael. Twenty-four hours later, you're saying let's let bygones be bygones. Can you understand why I might be a little confused?"

Jason rounded his desk, closing some of the distance between them. He leaned back against the large oak desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "My quarrel was never with you. I realized it was wrong to use you to get back at your husband."

Noelle subtly took a shaky breath, trying to figure out how to play this. But all she had was her instinct. It had rarely led her astray – and it was telling her that he was just continuing to play her. Fortunately, she had come prepared.

"I'm not proud of the fact that I threw the first punch, Noli," he continued when she failed to say anything.

Inwardly, she cringed at his use of her nickname. She had asked him before not to call her that. She fought to keep her composure, and instead she asked, "So there's no catch? We just move forward."

He nodded with a smile. "Just one small condition."

"Uncle Mac?"

Mac glanced up from his desk where he had been working on cutting his budget before Bowery ordered him to let someone go. He had been here before, not all that long ago, and he was not about to risk losing a team member again because the higher-ups only saw numbers. He rubbed his fatigued eyes then gave his attention to his young charge, Katie kneeling at the glass table across his office with a colouring book and crayons spread out in front of her. "Yes?"

"Mommy go 'way 'morrow. I no want her to go."

Mac looked at the three year old sympathetically. "I know, Katie. I expect that she does not want to go, either. But I bet your mother is going to call you everyday."

Katie sighed softly. That was exactly what her daddy had told her, and she had not liked it much then, either. "We s'pose go for a walk with Wocco and Mommy, but then Daddy got mad like when I lef' my dolls on the stair. Bu' he not mad at me or Mommy. His voice got weally loud."

Irish temper. Another man after your wife. Never a good combination, Mac mused.

Stella came walking into the office then, holding up an evidence report triumphantly. "Got a match to the tire treads, Mac."

He nodded towards Katie.

Stella glanced over, looking at the toddler in surprise. "Hi, sweetheart!"

"We have a other S'irley Temple?" the little girl asked hopefully.

"I see I've created a monster. What are you doing here, honey?"

"I'm holding her as collateral," Mac quipped.

Stel quirked an eyebrow as she looked back at her boyfriend. "And what exactly does a three year old genius secure as a surety these days?"

"A wire and a couple hours of my best lab tech's time."

The CSI's brow creased. "Sounds like entrapment."

"They don't want to take Cartwright to court. But Noelle does not deserve to lose everything because her editor turned out to be an ass."

"Uncle Mac, that a bad word," Katie pointed out.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Mac apologized.

"I think you need to start at the beginning, Mac," Stella demanded. "What has our favourite scum of the earth done now?"

"Damn it, Adam. This stupid thing isn't picking anything up," Don growled, glancing offer at the beleaguered lab tech who was sitting in the passenger seat of the Avalanche.

"I don't know why it's not working," Adam apologized. "I mean, I'm guessing it's probably some firewall thing. Though it could be because the office is like a gazillion floors up and –"

"I don't care _why_ it's not working. I just care that it's _not_ working. My wife is up there with a son-of-a-bitch who is thinking he's got the upper hand right about now. Does this mean it's not recording?"

"N-no," Adam stammered nervously. "The functions are separate."

Don sighed, sitting back in the driver's seat. "Just get the damn thing working." He rubbed at his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He should have been spending Noelle's last day making the most of their time together. Instead, he was in a parked car beneath the offices of Spencer-Carmichael, knowing that the chances were slim that Jason had some great crisis of conscience. That meant he had something else up his sleeve and Don was not about to let his wife's career be derailed.

"_So there's no catch? We just move forward."_

Flack escaped his thoughts as Noelle's voice came crackling through the ear piece.

"_Just one small condition."_

Upon hearing Jason's response, the homicide detective sat up straighter, his fist clenching. He shook his head – not in incredulity, but because Cartwright was playing this just as Don had suspected he would. And how he had hoped that this one time, his instincts could have been wrong.

* * *

**A/N Thank you to Angel of the Night Watchers for providing my new favourite nickname for Jason. Stella borrowed it when she referred to him as "our favourite scum of the earth".**

* * *


	136. Scum of the Earth

Standing in the middle of Jason's office, Noelle could only describe the moment as surreal. Less than forty-eight hours earlier, she saw him as a trusted friend, advisor, and her strongest source of support second only to Don. Now she was wearing a wire under her clothes after everything had gone to hell.

Don had been against her answering the email and going to see Jason in the first place. However, Noelle was not nearly as cynical as her husband. Despite the fact that there had been no indication of an apology, she had still longed to believe that he truly wanted to make amends. Knowing that they would get nowhere if Don accompanied her, the wire had been the next best thing Flack could come up with. He would still know what was going on, and if Cartwright went where he really feared he would go, they would walk away with proof. What they would do with said proof was still an unknown.

"So there's no catch? We just move forward."

Jason nodded with a smile. "Just one small condition."

Noelle's hopes of this situation being over evaporated and, once again, she was left feeling stupid for believing in him. And so her heart started to pound all over again, as it had Saturday night when she had been cornered in the alcove. "I'm all ears," she replied, her tone somewhat sardonic, and somehow managing to conceal the fact that she was wishing Don was not twenty storeys below but rather standing right there beside her, holding her hand.

Jason smirked with a shake of his head. He had known from the beginning how strong-willed and feisty she was. But what had attracted him to her was the contrast with how soft and vulnerable she could be. It all came through in her writing, which was about as brilliant as anything he had read in years. Not to mention she was stunning. And then to top it all off, she was married. The challenge to end all challenges. Normally, Jason did not waste his time fighting losing battles. But he had decided that getting Noelle would be worth whatever it took to get there. She was the complete package – and he had no intention of letting her go. "I'll go to Elle and tell her that my beef was really with your husband, not you, and I don't want you out."

"And in return…?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"You stay, and insist that you work exclusively with me on all future projects."

It was funny but the first thought that went through Noelle's head was that she did not envy Adam for being stuck in the SUV with her husband right about now. She could see the vein in Don's neck pulsating, his fists clenching. And if Adam dared to speak, he would become the innocent victim of the wrath her husband was sure to feel. She spent a split second trying to recall whether he had his gun with him.

"I'd say that's more than fair, wouldn't you?"

Noli escaped her internal musings at Jason's words. She quirked an eyebrow. "You really expect that I would want to continue working as closely with you as I have been after what happened the other night?"

"C'mon, Noli, what really happened?"

_Stop calling me that!_ She yelled inside her head, having to bite her tongue to keep from screaming the words out loud. Now she was really getting angry. "Do you really need me to remind you?" she asked incredulously. She had passed the point of thinking there was an amicable way out of this. Now she just wanted to get what she came for and get out before _she_ broke something else other than his nose.

"Sweetheart, it was just a kiss. Which you have to admit was rather nice until your husband interrupted us. So, as I mentioned, my beef is with him, not you. There's no reason why we cannot move on and continue working together."

"Right. Just like nothing happened."

"Well, I didn't say that."

She raised her eyebrows.

"C'mon, Noli, you're married to a _cop_," he reminded her with some definite disdain in his voice. "He's holding you back. He's got no clue what you could be. I mean, you should be looking forward to your tour. Instead, you're looking for every opportunity to come home."

"First of all, Don's a _detective_," she pointed out in exasperation. She was tired of the condescension he seemed to show towards Don and all of her friends who worked for the NYPD. It really was nothing new; she realized she had just chosen to ignore the occasional dig he had made throughout the past few months. But now her rose-coloured glasses had been ripped off and she was seeing him for exactly who he was. "He risks his life everyday he leaves the house with his gun and his shield for this city. And the reason I've been looking for every opportunity to come home to him is because my marriage, my _family_ – they matter more to me than a book. And this is nothing new. I've never said anything different. I don't _want_ anything different! So, no, your _proposition_, is not gonna cut it with me. If I have to publish my next book on my own, I will. Because I am not about to be bullied into working with someone who does not have the least bit of respect for me or my family." With that, she went to turn on her heels, not caring anymore about what she captured on tape.

"You walk out that door and you'll only ever have your first book, Noelle, because I will make sure you're blacklisted in this industry."

Barely able to see straight, she turned back around. "You'll _what_?"

"You heard me. If you leave, you'll never have more than _Best Laid Plans_. I'll see to it. And if you think I don't have that kind of power in this business, you're sorely mistaken," he threatened.

She was literally stunned into silence. She could not believe how wrong she had been about him. Her _three year old_ had better judgment when it came to Jason Cartwright than she'd had. She ran her fingers through her hair. "What did I do?" she muttered under her breath, suddenly more pissed off at herself than him.

Jason took a step towards her, not missing the fact that she stepped back in response. "Come on, Noelle. Things don't have to get this ugly."

"No, you just expect me to continue working with you after _you_ kissed _me_ against my will, decked my husband, and—"

"I think you're over-reacting just a little bit, don't you?" he interrupted her.

"I'm sorry if I don't take well to being threatened."

"I already told you, I can make all of this go away. You just need to put aside this hostility you seem to have suddenly developed and agree to my terms."

She took a deep breath, calming herself down. Deciding she might as well get what she came for before charging out, she said, "You know something? You never actually spelled those terms out for me. Why don't you do that now? I come back and work with you and…?"

"And stop being so resistant. I don't expect you to walk out on your family, but I do expect you to open your mind a little."

She literally felt her skin crawl. She also felt her phone vibrate inside the right side pocket of her jeans. "Excuse me," she said shakily, pulling her cell from her pocket. She glanced at the screen which asked if she wanted to accept a text from Don's cell. She clicked "yes" and read the quick message: _On my way. _She glanced up at Jason.

"Something wrong?"

"Don. He's wondering where I am. Our last day together before I leave, remember?"

Jason smiled at that. "He doesn't know you're here?"

She shook her head slowly. "You really think he would have let me come? I didn't witness what went on in the lobby, but I saw his eye, his hand, your nose…You two don't exactly have a mutual admiration society going on now, do you?"

"No. Your husband is not my biggest fan. Nor am I his."

"I've never understood that. You two hadn't even met until Saturday night. What did he ever do to you?"

"He got to you first," Jason said simply. He stepped back and leaned against the edge of his desk.

"You really think you're better for me than him?"

"I know it for a fact. I'm just waiting for you to clue in and give me a chance to prove it to you."

"And how do you propose to do that?" she asked, her heart starting to pound in her chest again, so hard she could barely hear her own thoughts, let alone his response.

"Saturday night was just the start, sweetheart. All of those people were there for you. Your book releases nationally tomorrow morning, and by tomorrow night, your name is going to be on everyone's lips. You need someone riding the wave with you who understands this business and the world that's about to open up to you. You're going to be the one at the top of everyone's guest list. You're going to be the big draw at every party, every industry event. Now, you stick with _me_, and you're going to ride that wave all the way to the top. I'm talking movie deals. Hell, you could be _playing _Alexa if you just listen to me."

"'Listen' to you."

"Sure. Listen to me. Sleep with me."

_Finally_. "And if I don't agree, you're going to blacklist me."

"That's not my first choice, Noelle."

Noelle bit her lip as if she was actually considering. She then walked closer, actually startling him as she stepped up right in front of him. She reached out and took a hold of his tie, smoothing it down his chest. "So what you're saying is that all I have to do is sleep with you and you'll take me all the way to the top?"

"Tell me that doesn't sound appealing."

"I'll _show _you what's appealing." And with that, she kneed him in the groin – hard.

With a painful groan, he hunched over. "Damn it, Noelle. What the hell…?"

She stepped back, squaring her stance. "Don't make me you lay you out right in front of me. And if you think I won't, Gaetano Parezi was an armed mobster who would attest to the fact that I can _and _will. So let's get a few things straight. I will _never_ sleep with you. I will never _work_ with you. And if I were you, I'd think twice about ever stepping foot in a room I happen to be in. You can try all you want to blacklist me in this industry, but I now have recorded proof of everything you just said, so we'll see who ends up with the ruined reputation when the dust settles."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You really think that with me being married to NYPD, I'd come in here without any back-up?"

"That would be me," Don said from the doorway, his accent even thicker than usual because of the rage he felt. He had heard the entire exchange once Adam had got the transmitter working and as proud as he was of his wife and how she had handled herself, he was irate that Jason had gone where he had.

"You got all that?" Noelle asked hopefully.

"Every word, babe. And just say the word and Adam's ready to drop a copy off for Elle."

_That _had not been part of the plan. After Noelle had decided to respond to Jason's email, Don had insisted on the wire so she could have some security, both in getting proof on tape, and with knowing that Don could hear everything and would be at her side in an instant should she need him. However, she had really not expected Jason to do any more than admit he had crossed the line the other night. She really had not expected him to go as low as he had. Part of her was deeply saddened that things had spiraled so far out of control and that she had lost someone who had really come to mean a lot to her.

Noelle nodded wordlessly, her throat dry as the reality of everything hit her.

"You're going to regret this, Noelle," Jason warned her evenly.

She looked back at him sadly. "What I regret is that I ever believed that you really cared about me and respected my work. I've never been a vengeful person, so I won't be giving Elle the same ultimatum you gave her. She can do whatever the hell she wants with the information she's given. But I'll never work in a place where I have to sacrifice my self-respect for my career." With that, she turned on her heels and exited the office as quickly as she could.

Don did not follow his wife. Instead, he glared at Jason. "If I had my way, my wife would be slapping you with sexual harassment charges. But even though she's not, don't think for one second that I won't use my connections in the NYPD to ensure that you _never_ get near her again. And if I were you, I wouldn't think about testing me on that."

Noelle was pacing out by the elevator when she was finally joined by her husband. She slapped the down button with one hand while Don took her other one in his, squeezing it gently. She just shook her head and took a deep breath, keyed up and angry. Part of her wished she had never acknowledged Jason's email, while the other part of her was glad that she had seen this through and now knew exactly what kind of man he was.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator doors opened. Don led Noli inside and hit the button for the third level parking garage, grateful that they were alone so she could take the time to cry or scream or whatever she needed to do. He was completely caught off guard when instead, as soon as the doors closed, she pushed him back against the wall and kissed him soundly. Being a man who was completely enamoured with his wife, he could not help but respond once he moved past his shock, his hands fisting through her thick, wavy hair. He groaned as her tongue swept through his mouth. "Nol…"

"I just want a minute to feel like the world's not going to go spinning off its axis," she pleaded.

"You got it." He captured her mouth again in a searing kiss. He took control and picked her up, hitching her legs around his waist before pressing her against the opposite wall. He kissed her fervently. He hated that she was hurting, knowing how disappointed she was in how things had turned out. At the same time, he was could not complain about how amazing it felt to work so well as a team again.

The elevator came to a stop. Don quickly released his wife as the doors opened on the sixth floor and a couple of businessmen stepped on. As the two gentlemen continued their conversation, Noelle stifled a giggle behind them, reaching up to wipe a smear of lipstick off her husband's mouth. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

She glanced up at him with a nod.

"What do ya say we go get our baby girl and go home?"

She smiled. And not caring that they were not alone, she leaned up and kissed him thoroughly.

When they came up for air, Don noticed that one of the guys had glanced over his shoulder in disapproval at the public display. Flack just smirked. He was pretty sure the guy was just jealous that he had such a beautiful woman in his arms.

**

* * *

**

"Uncle Mac? I have go bathwoom," Katie announced, walking over and looking up at him from the other side of his desk.

"Okay, sweetheart. Just let me sign this last report and I'll take you."

"I go myself. I a big girl."

He smiled at the three year old's insistence. "All right." He watched in amusement as she walked over and pulled open the heavy glass door herself, then headed down the hall. He gave her a bit of a head start before he got up and followed her out, making sure she made it to the locker room okay. He stood and guarded the door until he heard little footsteps, then he quickly headed back towards his office.

"Uh, Mac, what are you doing?" Danny asked, having stepped off the elevator and witnessed his superior's movements. He followed him into his office.

"Being overprotective," Taylor replied.

Danny furrowed his eyebrows in confusion until Katie walked back into the office.

"Hi, Uncle Danny. Daddy got mad and yelled, then he and Mommy bwought me here. And Mommy go 'way 'morrow."

Messer looked to Mac for a translation.

"Cartwright," was the elder CSI's only response.

"Fantastic," Danny muttered. He crouched down then in front of Katie. "Listen, kiddo, I know you're gonna miss your mommy, but she'll be back before you know it. And how 'bout your daddy brings you here to hang out for a day or two? That'd be cool, right Mac?"

"I hope you come visit us," Mac agreed. "Otherwise, how will we catch any bad guys?"

Katie giggled. "'k, I come help," she offered.

Both CSI's laughed.

"Hey, Katie, you want some apple juice?" Messer asked then.

She nodded excitedly.

"You know where it is in the break room fridge, right?"

The little girl nodded again.

Danny ruffled her hair then opened the door back up for her. He glanced down the corridor to make sure she found her way, then turned back to his boss. "So what's Cartwright done now?"

Mac filled him in on everything he knew, from the threat of quitting the day before to his email today, to Taylor lending Don and Noelle a wire and Adam for the afternoon.

"Too bad we can't arrest him on the grounds of being a low-life bastard," Danny sighed.

"That a bad word, Uncle Danny," Katie chastised as she walked back into the office with a bottle of apple juice in her little hands. She handed it to him to open.

"There ya go, kid. And sorry 'bout the bad word," Danny apologized.

"It okay. Uncle Mac say a bad word 'fore."

Danny chuckled softly then. If they invoked a swear jar in the Lab for when Katie was around, he was pretty sure they would all be broke.

"Hey, Katie, look who's back," Mac said then, glancing behind where she and Danny were standing.

She followed his gaze, her eyes lighting up as her parents and Adam stepped off the elevator.

A moment later, the three entered the office, Noelle quickly scooping up her daughter in her arms and kissing her cheek in greeting.

"Well?" Messer asked his best friend.

Don just nodded.

"Sorry, Hansen."

Noelle glanced over at Danny with Katie still in her arms. "It's over. That's all that matters. "

"Mommy, Uncle Mac say I come help catch the bad guys when you 'way," Katie announced.

Noelle laughed then at her daughter's exuberance. "Should I call you Detective Flack then?"

The little girl's eyes widened. "Like Daddy!"

"You got that right, cutie," Don grinned, kissing her cheek proudly.

"All right. Well, before I hand you both over to the NYPD, how 'bout we go home and eat a pepperoni pizza?"

"Yay! Adam and Uncle Danny and Uncle Mac come too!" Katie invited.

"I think you guys should spend your mom's last night at home together," Danny said. "But thank you for the invite, kid. Now, I gotta get to work. Hansen, you take care a-yourself, a'right? Have a safe trip to the West Coast." He kissed her cheek, then clapped Don on the shoulder and headed out.

"I'll be in A/V if you need me, boss," Adam said to Mac. "Hey, Katie, ya wanna come help me for a few minutes while your mom and dad talk to Mac?"

Katie nodded eagerly.

Noelle set her down, ordered her to behave, then watched as she followed Adam happily out to the A/V lab.

"So I take it the wire was of assistance?" Mac asked.

"Unfortunately. The son-of-a-bitch hung himself out to dry," Don explained.

"He threatened to blacklist me if I didn't come back and work exclusively with him – and sleep with him," she Noelle, her face colouring a little in both embarrassment and fury.

"I'm sorry, Noelle. You know, you have grounds for a sexual harassment suit," Mac pointed out.

"I can't. I know now that he deserves it, but I just – I can't. I can't put the kids through that, not with Joseph's trial still pending. And I just want to put this all behind us. I'll go do the tour, then when I get back, I'll start looking for a new publisher."

"You probably won't have to, doll. Once Elle listens to that recording, there's no way she's not gonna toss Jason out," Don assured her.

"You know what? Even if she does, I just want to make a clean break. Brooke was right. If I can't get another publisher, then we'll do it independently next time around. Or maybe I'll be a one hit wonder," she mused.

"You're too talented for that to happen," Mac pointed out.

"Well, there's nothing I can do until I fulfill my obligation to Spencer-Carmichael and finish this tour. So, we'll just get through the next three weeks and roll with whatever comes next. Mac, I do want to thank you, though. I appreciate you going along with everything today."

"We take care of our own," he reminded her.

Don put his arm around his wife. "It ain't bad bein' in with the NYPD, is it?"

"And anyone who ever knocks you guys again is going to get more than a knee in the groin," she agreed.

He flashed his dimpled grin. "That's my girl."


	137. La Guardia

**A/N Contrary to popular belief, I did not fall off the face of the earth. It just felt like it! I am so sorry there have been no updates for the past **_**many**_** months, but taking care of my health took precedence over everything else. Now that I am feeling much better than I have in years, I am back! Hopefully this will be the start of making it up to whoever is still out there reading … xoxoxo mustlovecat**

* * *

Noelle sat back in the bathtub, soaking up the heat and trying to let the water relax her. It felt like the day had gone on forever and all she really wanted was to close her eyes and sleep for a week. However, she was reluctant to actually go to sleep and let tomorrow come when she was due to fly out first thing in the morning. She was already missing Katie and Tony. And the thought of not being with Don for over a week was almost too much to bear.

She reached up and raked a hand through her damp auburn waves. Excitement over the release of her book should have been permeating every fibre of her being, but all she really felt was dread. The situation with Jason had tainted the entire experience. She hated him as much for that as for what he had actually done to her when he had kissed her at the release party then propositioned her in his office. She knew that she would miss her family no matter what, but it would be easier to leave if she felt she had some purpose in going. But what was the point in promoting a novel whose culmination had probably ended her career before it even really began?

"You look way too serious, doll."

Noli escaped her thoughts as her husband walked into the en suite, a bottle of beer in each hand. She gratefully accepted the one he offered to her and took a long pull of the ice cold liquid. "I don't want to go," she confessed softly after a moment.

Don leant against the edge of the vanity. "I don't want you to go either, babe, but you deserve to ride the wave of your success."

She scoffed. "Fleeting as it may be."

"Don't say that. You didn't do anything wrong so there's no way this can come down on you. I won't let it."

"That's sweet, honey, but I'm not sure you have any say in this."

"We can still slap that smug son-of-a-bitch with a sexual harassment suit."

"And put the kids through that? Donnie, let's be realistic. We already have one trial hanging over our heads. Tony may seem happy and well-adjusted right now, but you and I both know that as soon as Joseph's case finally makes it to court, everything's going to get all stirred up again. He doesn't need to be worrying about this, too." She took another sip of her beer, then set the bottle down on the edge of the tub. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head down against them. "I don't suppose you want to come to the West Coast with me, huh?"

He looked at her with a wistful smile. "I'd love to, Nol. And you know if I could…"

She sighed. "I know. But Tony's got school, and you've got bad guys to catch."

"And you'll be so busy that the time will fly. And didn't you say Emily's in L.A. with the BAU team working on a case right now? Maybe you two can get together and hang out."

"Yeah, I hope so. And Remy and I might actually manage to sync up our schedules, too. I just – I don't like sleeping without you."

"You do it all the time," he reminded her.

"It's different when _you're_ the one who's gone. You're not three thousand miles away. And you always come home eventually." She pouted. "Seven days with no sex…"

"Don't remind me." He took a swig from his own bottle of beer. "Why don't you come to bed and we can see if we can cram a week into a few hours?"

She smiled. "That sounds –"

The sound of a ringing phone cut into their plans.

"That's yours. You want me to get it?" Don asked.

"Thanks. I'll be right there."

He nodded, heading out into the bedroom and easily finding her cell phone sitting atop of her luggage. He snatched it up, hoping it hadn't already awoken their daughter. "Yeah, hello?"

"Oh, uh, Don? Hi, it's Brooke. I'm sorry, I know it's getting late, but is Noelle there?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a sec." He turned to head into the bathroom but instead found his wife emerging, tying the belt on her robe. He handed her the phone, mouthing that it was her agent.

"Brooke, hi. What's up?" Noelle asked curiously.

"You ready for this? Elle doesn't want to lose you. She's willing to dump Jason, and to entice you to stay, she's offering a three-book deal, along with a fifty percent increase on the advance for your next novel. There's only one condition: you can't disclose the reasons for Jason's dismissal to anyone who might ask."

Noelle's eyes widened. She looked at her curious husband in disbelief. "You're kidding."

"Nope. But Jason must have something on her because she's insistent on keeping the real reason for him being sacked out of the press. As far as anyone's concerned, Spencer-Carmichael and Jason Cartwright are parting ways amicably. So if the tape gets out, the deal's off."

"Jason doesn't have something on her, she's just trying to protect her own company's reputation. If I walk, so does the story. But I think I can live with that. I'd rather have my book tank than become known because of some kind of sex scandal." She bit her lip in contemplation. "You know, I told Don earlier that I wanted a clean break, but an offer like this is kind of a game-changer, isn't it? Does that make me a hypocrite?"

"Noelle, this is the kind of deal most authors only dream about. You'd be foolish not to consider it. But she doesn't need an answer until tomorrow, so feel free to sleep on it. Talk to your husband. Make sure you're both comfortable committing to Spencer-Carmichael for another three books. That means at least the next five years of your life."

"Trust me, sometimes it's better to deal with the devil you know. As long as I don't have to work with Jason, I'm fine. Tell Elle I'll take the deal," Noli replied confidently.

"Okay. She'll be in your debt, Noelle. She's a smart businesswoman, and she knows Spencer-Carmichael can't afford to lose both of you. And now that she has proof of what a complete ass Jason is, she knows _you're_ the safe bet."

"We'll see. I now have three books to write."

Brooke laughed softly. "Yes, but I believe you're up for the challenge. Congratulations, honey. You just got yourself one hell of a guarantee! I'll see you at La Guardia in the morning."

"Thanks again for coming with me. It will be a lot easier having an ally there with me. I'll see you in the morning."

"You got it. Get some sleep. Bye."

Noelle hung up her phone and released a long exhalation. "You ready for this?" She excitedly filled in the blanks of the one-sided conversation he had heard, the weight that had been sitting on her shoulders dissipating with each word. "A three book deal! Isn't that crazy?"

Don flashed his dimpled grin. It was great to see his wife smiling after everything that had happened the past few days. And while he wasn't Elle's biggest fan – and he knew that this offer was as much about keeping Noelle quiet as it was about Spencer-Carmichael's faith in her talent – he knew that the kind of security Noelle had just been guaranteed was unheard of. Considering everything she had been through in the past year, certainty in whatever form it might take was something to be grabbed onto tightly. That was why he had married her, after all. He never argued with a sure thing.

"You don't think I'm taking the easy way out, do you? I mean, am I compromising myself for an easy buck?" she asked, suddenly questioning how quickly she had jumped at the deal.

"Compromising yourself would have been letting Jason get away with what he did to you just to keep your job. But you took control, babe. You have any idea how ballsy it was to walk into that office today and do what you did? I'm not gonna lie, I would've enjoyed seein' you lay him out, but a knee to the nut-sac'll do, too," he smirked. "Look, doll, the fact is, you took him on and you won. From the sounds of it, you won _big_. I mean, regardless of Carmichael's motives, you're walking away from this with an incredible deal. I'm real proud a' you."

She grinned. "You really are my biggest fan, aren't you?"

He nodded matter-of-factly. "I better be."

She walked over to him and slid her hands up his chest. "Didn't you say something earlier about going to bed?" she asked then.

"I believe in my infinite wisdom I might have suggested something like that, yeah," he agreed.

She made quick work of ridding him of his t-shirt, her lips soon moving over his chest, causing him to groan. She pulled back and looked up at him. "We're going to talk every night, right? Like when you were Toronto?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, but with Tony in the house, I better use my cell. I'd hate for him to pick up the phone to call Candice and overhear something that could severely traumatize the kid."

She felt her face colour, remembering some of the provocative conversations they had had when he was running the Task Force the year before.

Don cupped her face in his hands then and leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. He was already dreading the thought of sleeping in their bed without her, but she wasn't gone yet. He was intent on making some lasting memories to get him through.

Noelle escaped his hold and took a step back. She untied the belt on her robe then let the covering fall to floor, leaving her standing there completely naked in front of him. Enjoying the look on his face, she moved over and sat down on the edge of the bed and watched appreciatively herself as he unbuckled his own belt and rid himself of his jeans. She held out a hand to him and pulled him down on top of her. "One week, remember?"

Tony walked a few feet away from where his stepmother was crouched down in front of a sobbing Katie. Fifteen year old boys did not get upset when their mothers left on business trips. Unlike all of the other parental figures in his life who had left and never come back, Noelle would be home in a week, if even just for a couple days before she left again. No, he was not upset. He just happened to get something in his eye at that exact moment.

"I'm going to be home in seven sleeps, sweetheart," Noelle tried to soothe her crying three year old.

"Mommy…stay...I be…good...Pwomise," Katie sobbed.

"Oh, honey, I'm not leaving because of anything you did. Mommy's going away for work. But I'm going to be back before you even know it. And once the whole tour's over, you, Daddy, Tony and me, we're going to all go away on a trip together. But until then, you're going to get to go hang out at the Lab with Uncle Danny and Uncle Mac, and Grandpa Don's going to take you to the zoo. And _I'm _going to be thinking about you every second that I'm gone. And I will call you every night before you go to bed, Katie-bear. I promise."

Katie sniffled, but the tears didn't stop.

Noelle furrowed her brow. She had known this was going to be difficult, but somehow had not anticipated the scene at the airport to be this wrought with emotion. "I love you so much, sweetheart. And I need you to take good care of Daddy and Tony while I'm gone because you know they'll get into all sorts of trouble otherwise, right?"

"'k, Mommy," Katie vowed, her sobs quieting.

Noli leaned over and kissed her little girl then smoothed a hand over her chestnut curls. "I'll talk to you tonight before you go to sleep, my little Katie-bear." She then stood up and looked at her guys. "Promise me you'll something more than pizza and burgers while I'm gone?"

"She says that like it's a bad thing," Don kidded Tony.

Tony forced a smile.

Noelle fought back her own at seeing how hard he was trying to appear unaffected. As she looked at him then, she was struck by how "step" no longer prefaced "son" in her mind when she thought of him. It was hard to believe that it had only been a year since he had come to live with them. If felt like he had always been part of her. "Text me between innings tomorrow and let me know the score. But I know you're going to kick Winslow's butt," she said of his upcoming baseball game.

"If I can get my knuckleball under control," he sighed.

"You'll be fine. Just remember what Danny told you, right?" She appraised him n. "Is it completely uncool for you to let me hug you in public?"

He rolled his eyes, but obliged her with a quick embrace.

She kissed his cheek, then rubbed off a smidgen of lip gloss that had been left behind. "I love you, kiddo."

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled. He reached down then and took Katie's hand. "C'mon, munchkin. There's an airplane taking off over there. Let's go take a look."

Don shook his head a little incredulously as Tony led his sister a few feet away, effectively giving the couple some privacy for their goodbye. "You really trust me not to screw them up while you're gone?"

"How much damage can you do in a week?" she teased him.

"You'd be surprised, babe. C'mere..." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "Call me as soon as you land."

She nodded.

"I, uh – I want you to knock 'em dead out there. But just remember what's waitin' for you here at home."

"That's what's making it possible for me to get on that plane. I love you."

"Right back atcha, doll. I'll see ya right here in a week. But I'll talk to ya in a few hours." He kissed her again, this time a little more urgently. But finally, he had to tear himself away.

Noelle took a deep breath. She waved to Katie and Tony, gave Don one last kiss, then left to go check in.

Once she passed through security and found her gate, she headed to one of the many little shops in the airport to see about picking up a couple magazines for the flight. Near the back of the store one of the employees was unpacking the latest shipment of magazines and books to display. Her breath caught as the young man pulled out a few hardcovers and set them out on the rack. Staring right back at her was her novel.

"Oh, that's nothing. Wait until you see the display in Barnes and Noble."

Startled, Noelle spun around to find Brooke standing there with a slightly amused smile on her face over her client's reaction. "This is crazy," Noli whispered.

"Yes, and completely surreal, I'm sure. But get used to it because this is just the beginning. You're a published novelist. And from what I hear, there are three more books in the works."

"Wow. Yeah, well, people still need to buy them."

"That's why you just had to go through those tortuous goodbyes back there. That was kind of syrupy by the way," Brooke teased her then.

"Oh, it made your teeth hurt, huh?"

"A little bit. If I didn't play for the other team, I just might hate you."

Noelle rolled her eyes. "You could still have all of this, you know."

"And give up the ability to just pick up and leave whenever the hell I want? No thank you."

"You sound just like my friend Remington. Although it took her two husbands to figure that one out. I can see you two are going to hit it right off."

"You can't tell me you don't miss your independence just a little bit," Brooke suggested.

"You think that just because I'm married I don't have any independence? Don's my partner, not my keeper. Besides, I've done the alone thing. I even adopted a baby on my own, prepared to be a single mom, and confident that I could give Katie the best life possible all by myself. And you know, if I hadn't met Don, she and I would be just fine. And I would have survived everything that's been thrown at me without him. But none of the good stuff would have been as sweet. There's nothing better than having him in my life, you know – than having a partner to share everything with. And I wouldn't have Tony. So don't be too quick to think that sharing your life with someone means giving up yourself. Besides, when was the last time you had really – and I'm talking _really _– great sex, let alone whenever you wanted it?"

Brooke laughed out loud at her friend's brusqueness.

"I know, I know. My life's a walking cliché. Laugh all you want. Maybe I have lots of responsibilities and lack the freedom to just pick up and take off for parts unknown. But you might play for the other team, as you put it, but you're not blind. You've seen my husband. Why would I miss the life I had before?" With that, Noelle grabbed a couple magazines and walked over to the cashier.

Brooke shook her head and picked up a copy of Noli's book. She just stared at the cover for a moment, a little in awe herself at seeing the finished product actually out there for the rest of the world to see. She finally set it back down on the shelf before walking over to her friend. "Just out of curiosity, you care to answer your own question since you seem so intent on proving a point?"

Noelle laughed softly. "Sure. Four times. Last night alone."

"Yeah, I take back what I said earlier. I _do _hate you – just a little bit."

**

* * *

**

A/N 2 So there you go, my first chapter back. Hopefully it didn't completely suck. I'm feeling a little rusty.

**Some stuff coming up: a girls' night out in L.A. while Don deals with being Mr. Mom back at home. And you know how on soap operas they might go for years without mentioning a character, and then all of a sudden their name starts getting dropped before they magically reappear? **


	138. The Messenger

Don sat up and pounded his pillow a couple times, and then he lay back down. He closed his eyes, but two minutes later, they were open and he was staring at the ceiling once again. With a sigh, he turned over onto his side and reached for Noelle out of habit, her warm body against his always helping him sleep. Except tonight the bed beside him was empty and cold, as it would be for the next week. And he realized that he had never slept in the house without her. Even when she was recovering from her surgery and could not handle the stairs, he had inevitably ended up sprawled out in some insane position in the armchair just so he could fall asleep to the sound of her breathing while she slept on the couch. He wondered how she did this whenever he was out in the field, and he realized she had probably slept in this bed alone as much as she had shared it with him. She probably did not even think twice about it anymore. But here he was, the cocky boy from Queens who couldn't sleep alone.

He glanced over at the clock. Seeing that it was just after midnight in New York, he figured his wife would probably still be awake in L.A., unless the jet lag had really hit her. So, despite the fact that he had talked to her just a few hours ago, he reached over and grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and dialled the number to her cell.

"Something wrong?" Noli answered after just one ring, a little worried when she saw her home number on the call display and knowing what time it was back home.

"Yeah, you're not here. Care to get that cute little butt of yours back on a plane so I can get some decent sleep?" Flack complained.

Noelle relaxed and chuckled at his whining. She muted the TV in her hotel room and sat back against the headboard of the lonely queen sized bed. "I miss you, too," she said by way of response.

"I don't like you three thousand miles away."

"Now you know how I feel when you're on nights."

"Why the hell have you never complained? It sucks being in this bed alone."

She laughed softly once again. "If the criminals you crack down in interrogation only knew..."

Don mumbled something unintelligible.

"Did Katie go down okay?" Noelle asked, leaving the teasing aside.

"Yeah, sure. Eventually. Only took four stories, a glass of water, and me reminding her six times that she gets to go to the Lab tomorrow."

"Are you going to make it to Tony's baseball game?"

"Yeah, yeah, no worries. And Danny said he was gonna put in an appearance. Fact is, the kid'll be more upset now if Messer doesn't make it than me. No matter how cool a dad he thinks I am most of the time, I'm nothin' when it comes to baseball."

"Well, Danny _did_ play in the minors, honey." Noelle sighed then. "I wish _I _was going to be there."

"You and me both. Something tells me it's gonna be a real long week." He cleared his throat then. "So...What're ya wearin'?"

**

* * *

**"C'mon, Katie, _please_."

"No, want Mommy!" Katie pouted.

Don sighed, sitting back on his heels and running a hand through his hair. He had spent the past twenty minutes trying to get his little girl dressed, but she was having none of it. She sat on the edge of her bed with her arms crossed defiantly, and Don was close to scooping her up in his arms and taking her to the Crime Lab in her pajamas.

"Dad, I gotta go. You're comin' to the game, right?" Tony asked from the doorway to Katie's room.

"Yeah, I'll be there, Antonio. I already told my captain I have to be off the clock by three-thirty. And grab some money outta my wallet for lunch, kid."

"That's okay. Noelle already covered me for the week."

Don rolled his eyes. "Of course she did," he muttered under his breath.

Tony chuckled, having heard the comment. "See ya later. Bye, Katie-bear."

Katie continued to scowl.

"Have a good day. See ya," Don said, then he looked back at his daughter. "Okay, cutie, we gotta get goin', too. You wanna go see Uncle Mac and Uncle Danny in your Winnie the Pooh p.j.'s?"

"I WANT MOMMY!"

He fought back the urge to let a string of obscenities fly and just shook his head. Giving up, he stood and picked up his flailing three year old, grabbing her clothes from off the bed in his other hand and heading out.

Forty minutes later, the homicide detective walked into 1PP with a sniffling little girl, the tears having finally stopped in the car. However, she was still clad in her pajamas, and he knew he was going to hear about it as soon as anyone saw her. So, walking into Danny and Lindsay's office, and seeing quirked eyebrows from both of his friends at the sight of his tear-stained and pajama-clad daughter, he pre-emptively said, "Don't ask. It's been a rough morning and I gotta be in Hill's office in five minutes for a briefing."

"Go, go, we got this," Lindsay replied, getting up from her desk and walking over as Don set Katie down. "We're going to have lots of fun today, aren't we Katie?"

"I want my mommy. She go 'way," the little girl said softly.

"Ah, I know you miss your mom. But she'll be back soon. And I bet you she's missing you like crazy right now," Lindsay said in an attempt to soothe the little girl.

"And we're gonna do all sorts of cool stuff today, sweetie," Danny piped in.

Katie sniffled again. She looked up Don. "You stay wit' me, wight, Daddy?"

Don felt a pang of guilt. She was finally settling down, and now she wanted something else she couldn't have. He crouched down in front of her with a furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, cutie, but I gotta go to a meeting with my boss and then catch some bad guys. But it sounds like Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsay have all sorts of cool stuff to show you, right? And as soon as I can, I'm gonna come back up and see ya. I promise."

She nodded slowly, resignation setting in.

"Gimme five." He held out his hand and chuckled when his little girl started to soften and reached out her little hand to give him a high-five. "That's my girl. Love ya, Katie-bear."

"Love you, Daddy."

He kissed the top of her head, then stood up and reluctantly headed out for his meeting with the captain.

"So, what should we do first, junior lab rat?" Danny asked.

"How 'bout we get you dressed?" Lindsay suggested, grabbing the bag Don had dropped with all of her stuff inside.

"I wan' go see Uncle Mac and Aunt 'Tella!" Katie pleaded.

"Clothes first, then we'll go look for them. How's that sound?"

"And we wook in a micwoscope?" the little girl negotiated.

"You gotta deal, kiddo," Danny agreed. "So, what'd your old man pack for ya to wear?"

Lindsay scrunched up her nose as she searched through the bag. "Nothing that matches."

"It's gonna be a long week 'til Hansen gets home, eh?"

Hours later, the little girl had been handed off to Stella (who had somehow managed to make her mis-matched outfit of pink cords and a red and yellow shirt work by adding a fashionably tied scarf she had in her locker) and then to Mac, who now led her by the hand into the A/V Lab where Adam was trying to get something off a wiped hard drive. Ross had his ear buds in and the music blaring, but this time had been smart enough not to have his back to the door. He quickly shut off his IPod and pulled out the earphones as his boss and his young charge neared.

"Adam!" Katie greeted excitedly.

"Hey, squirt. Wassup?"

"Adam, I have a budget meeting. Can you watch Katie until Flack gets back to pick her up?" Mac requested.

"Yeah, sure, boss. No problem," Adam agreed happily.

Mac nodded, then crouched down in front of Katie. "I have to go, sweetheart. You'll be fine with Adam. And it won't be long until your father comes back, all right?"

"'k, Uncle Mac." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

The former marine actually seemed a little flustered by the little girl's proclamation. He definitely had developed quite the soft spot for his little junior CSI. "I love you, too, honey. I'll see you later." He ruffled her hair then straightened up and headed out for his meeting.

Left with the young lab rat, Adam grinned. "So, you gonna help me catch some bad dudes there, squirt?"

"I help!" Katie agreed. "Bu' Daddy say you not get in more twouble."

**

* * *

**Tony actually felt a little nervous as he warmed up. It wasn't every day they let a sophomore start. Especially not against Winslow, one of the school's main rivals. It was quite the vote of confidence from his coach. Unfortunately, not all his teammates felt the same way. And as he looked over towards the bleachers and noticed that both his dad and Danny had made it to the game, he was also worried about disappointing the two NYPD detectives.

"Hey, Alvarez. Keep it high and tight against Walker and Picard. You'll get 'em both in three pitches," Wyatt Morris suggested as he joined his teammate on the sidelines and started warming up himself. "Otherwise, watch me. I've played against most of these guys before."

"Thanks, Wyatt," Tony said gratefully, Wyatt being one of the few seniors who didn't seem to care that one his fellow classmates was not the starting pitcher. Tony glanced over towards the bleachers, waving when he caught his father's gaze.

"You got some fans?" Wyatt kidded him.

"Yeah," Tony admitted a little sheepishly. "My dad, my little sister, and my dad's best friend. Detective Messer actually played in the minors for a while. He's been givin' me some pointers."

"It shows, man. You've got a killer arm. And don't let any of the guys get to you, okay? Coach made the right choice, puttin' you in today."

"Thanks. Your girlfriend here?"

"Nah, Carla hates watching. Says she gets too nervous. What about yours? You've been seein' that new girl, right? Candice?"

He grinned. "Yeah. But she's got a dance class. Besides, I think _she'd_ make _me_ too nervous. It's bad enough having my dad and Danny here."

"Ah, be glad they showed up, buddy. I don't remember the last time my parents came out to a game."

"All right, team, let's bring it in!" their coach called out.

Wyatt grinned. "Game time."

**

* * *

**"How's Hansen doin'?" Danny asked as he noticed Don pulled out his phone and read a text message.

"Uh, says the first book signing was good, more people than she was expecting." Don smiled to himself. "That's my girl."

"Daddy?" Katie interrupted then, looking up from her spot on her father's knee.

"Yeah, cutie?"

"I go pway with Tony?"

"Sorry, Katie-bear, but I don't think beating your big brother one the Wii will get you on the team just yet," Don kidded. "You wanna go play on the jungle gym instead?"

She nodded excitedly.

"Okay, cutie, but you gotta stay where I can see ya."

"I pwomise." Once her daddy had set her on her feet, she slowly climbed down off the bleachers and ran over to the jungle gym a few yards away.

"You put sunscreen on her?" Danny asked.

Don turned and looked at his best friend a little incredulously. "What're you, my wife?"

"Uh, no, but I know your wife. And if your kid gets burned, Hansen'll do more than knee ya in the nut-sac."

Flack furrowed his brow. "Crap."

Messer laughed.

Don took of his sunglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. A temper tantrum this morning, an apparently unfashionable outfit, and now forgetting to soup up his little girl with suntan lotion this afternoon. If any of this got back to Noelle, he was pretty sure phone sex was as good as it got even after she got home.

Over on the jungle gym, Katie giggled as she ran up and down the ramp that let up the slides. She looked over and waved at her daddy, but his gaze was intent on the baseball diamond where his son was about to retire the last batter in the bottom of the fifth, so far having only allowed two hits and no runs.

"Hi, Katie."

The little girl turned around.

"You remember me?"

Katie tried to remember. She cocked her head. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but the man standing just a few feet away on the sand next to the jungle gym knew her name, so he wasn't a stranger, right?

"You've grown since the last time I saw you. How old are you now?"

She held up her hand with three fingers in the air.

"Wow, three. You're big brother's pitching over there, huh?"

Katie gave a big, toothy grin. "And Daddy and Uncle Danny bwought me so we can see! Tony weally good!"

"Can you give your brother a message for me?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"Tell him I'm sorry about his mother, but this will all be over soon."

Katie furrowed her brow. "Mommy 'way."

"Just tell him what I told you. He will understand soon enough. Goodbye, Katie." And with that, he turned and walked away, steering clear of any path that would allow him to be seen by the NYPD detectives.

Katie stood there for a moment trying to make sense of the message and also still trying to remember who the man was. She decided her daddy would know, so she ran back over to the bleachers and took her time climbing back up to where Don and Danny were sitting.

"Hey, cutie. Did you have fun in the playground?" Don asked, hoisting her up onto his knee and looking her over for any signs of sunburn.

She nodded. "And I have tell Tony what the man said."

Don and Danny's heads instinctively turned towards the jungle gym, their detective instincts on high alert after hearing that Katie had been speaking to a stranger. "What man, Katie-bear?" Flack asked when they saw no trace of anyone.

"I don't 'member. He say tell Tony he sorry," she explained, tilting her head as she tried to recall the rest of the message.

"Did he say anything else, cutie? Think really hard."

"He say sorry about mommy!" she announced, proud that she had remembered.

Don and Danny exchanged a worried glance.

"What'd he look like, sweetie?" Danny asked.

She smiled then. She didn't remember who he was but she figured out then why he seemed familiar. "He look like Tony!"

"That's impossible. He's in Rikers," Don muttered, realization dawning on him and knowing his daughter could only be speaking of one man.


	139. My Last Name

"How the hell did he end up getting bail after all this time?" Don railed at Detective Robert Goren as he stood in the hub of the Major Case Squad.

The seasoned detective looked at Don apologetically. "His lawyer re-petitioned, arguing against due process with all the delays getting to trial, and unfortunately, the judge ruled in his favour. Don, I'm sorry you weren't notified. The case was just passed off to Eames and myself, and I'm still getting up to speed. You know I would have extended you professional courtesy if I had known."

Flack did not hear the apology; all he could focus on was Joseph's release. "He threatened my wife! _Through my three year old daughter!_"

Goren did not speak for a moment, giving Don the opportunity to calm down a little – and knowing that the homicide detective was not going to like what he was about to say. "He did not break any laws by being in that park or talking to your daughter," he finally pointed out in his soft-spoken manner, not that his tone would make the revelation any easier to take. "Are you even sure it was Alvarez?"

"Who the hell else could it be? 'Tell Tony I'm sorry about his mother?' What other conclusion am I supposed to draw here?"

"C'mon, Flack, you know I'm just arguing exactly what his attorney will given the chance. All we have is the word of your three year old daughter. Even if the D.A. considered her a credible witness, would you want to subject her to that?"

"He was two feet away from her!" Flack yelled. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Son-of-a-bitch. It's my own damn fault. I never shoulda let her outta my sight like that."

Goren knit his eyebrows together in contemplation then, his mind trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle the way only his could. "I don't think his message was referring to your wife."

"The only other option is Tony's biological mother, his sister. It makes no sense for him to threaten her."

Bobby walked over and rifled through the pile of case files littering his desk. Finding the Alvarez folder, he rifled through it. "Loretta Alvarez."

"Yeah. We're Tony's legal guardians, but his biological mother's serving a dime upstate"

"Briggs tried for months to get an interview after her brother's arrest, but she stonewalled him at every turn, said she had nothing to say about her brother." He looked at Flack pointedly. "She called this morning out of nowhere and said she wanted to speak with a detective. Alexandra was planning on heading up there first thing tomorrow."

Don furrowed his brow. "The timing can't be a coincidence. But the one thing I know about Joseph is that he believes blood is everything. He wouldn't harm his own sister."

"Are you sure?"

Flack considered, then shook his head. "No, you know something? I'm not. I thought smuggling drugs was the worst he could do until Messer matched ballistics in an open murder case. I have no idea how his mind works or what he's really capable of."

"But I'm starting to think that it makes more sense than him threatening your wife. Whatever he's got against your wife, he's got against you, too. Is your son in contact with his mother?"

"Nah. When he first came to live with us, his grandmother told me that Loretta didn't want him visiting her in prison, but that there'd been some cards and letters. But when I asked Tony about it, he said there'd been no communication in a long time; the cards had stopped soon after her incarceration. I tried to see her when we first took him in to scope out the situation, but she refused a visit."

"So you don't know how she feels about Tony being in your care?"

"No. But honestly, I don't think that woman ever really cared one way or another about her son. I knew Tony a few years back when I volunteered at the Y, and from what I gathered back then, she wasn't much of a mother even before she got put away. The only real parental figure he had in his life before me and Noelle was his grandmother. She's the only reason he turned out as well as he did."

Goren narrowed his eyes in contemplation. "You know prison is worse than high school. People hear things. Perhaps Loretta is afraid that her brother could get his hands on Tony now that he's out. That could explain her sudden willingness to talk. The next question is does she actually have anything on him?"

"That I don't know. But at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one that got her into the drugs in the first place. Maybe even the hooking."

"Gives a whole new meaning to family bonding, doesn't it?" Bobby shook his head. "I'll call up and make sure she's protected. And we'll bring Alvarez back in for questioning. But unless we can _prove_ there was some threat in what he said to your daughter, the D.A. won't have a leg to stand on in trying to have his bail revoked."

"In other words, the bastard's gonna be walking the streets until he goes to trial."

"I'm sorry, Don."

"It's not your fault, Bobby. I, uh – I appreciate you talkin' this out with me. And I'm sorry, y'know, for bitin' your head off before. I just – "

"It's your family. No apology necessary."

Don nodded, still feeling bad about losing his temper. He turned to leave but had only taken a few steps before he stopped in his tracks and looked back at Goren, something suddenly occurring to him. "Dean Truby. If Joseph's goin' after people who are talkin', Truby could be on the list."

"Your old partner?"

"Yeah. After we got suspicious about Joseph, I went to see him. Thought he mighta learned a few things while unloading those thirty keys, or heard something once he went away. He confirmed that Alvarez had made a play for that stash we caught him on."

"Okay. I'll check into it. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks." He shook the hand of his colleague then finally turned to go.

After leaving Major Case, Don headed back to the Lab where Katie was waiting with Danny. He had allowed Tony to go out for pizza with his friends to celebrate their victory over Winslow High, concluding along with Messer that he was safe. If Joseph had wanted to get to his nephew, he would never have risked tipping them off by sending a message through Katie. So now he just wanted to get his baby girl home and let this day be over. He had yet to determine exactly what he was going to tell Noelle when he talked to her. Although he had managed to convince Katie that he would take care of passing on "the man's" message, the little girl's ability to keep a secret was non-existent. He would have no choice but to talk to Tony tonight.

Don stepped off the elevator on the thirty-fifth floor and had only made it a few feet down the corridor when Mac emerged from his office.

"Danny told me about Katie's run-in with Joseph. Would you like me to set up a protective detail?" Mac offered.

"Thanks, Mac, but I don't think it's necessary. He's been out for three days. If he wanted to get to Tony, he would have by now. And after talking to Goren, I think it's Tony's biological mother he's after, not Noelle. Turns out Loretta Alvarez called into Major Case and requested an interview today," Don explained.

Mac quirked an eyebrow. "That's interesting."

"I don't think it's a coincidence that her wanting to talk happened right after her brother was released."

"How the hell did he make bail?"

Flack related what Goren had told him. "So he's out there free and clear right now. Bobby's gonna try bringing him in, but all we got is the word of my three year old, and apparently that ain't exactly enough to have his bail revoked. As Goren pointed out, he didn't break any laws by speaking to her and she's probably not the most credible witness."

"No." Mac appraised his friend. "Have you talked to Noelle?"

Don shook his head slowly. "No. And I'm not sure I'm going to. Not yet, anyway. She's had enough drama to deal with this week. The last thing she needs is to be worried about Tony." He sighed. "Damn it, Mac! I knew there was a chance that Joseph's presence was going to felt again once he got to trial, but this is freakin' ridiculous. What if he runs? Tony'll be lookin' over his shoulder for the rest of his life. He's been through enough because of his family."

"_You're_ his family, Don, and I'd venture a guess that as far as he's concerned, what his uncle does now is inconsequential."

"I hope to God you're right. Regardless, I gotta tell him what's goin' on. I owe him that much. So I'm gonna go get Katie and go home."

"Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find out anything else."

"You don't have to get involved, Mac. I appreciate it, but you've done enough for us already."

"Tony's important to all of us. You know we'll do whatever we have to to protect him."

Don and Mac parted ways and Flack resumed his trail to retrieve his daughter. He quickly filled Danny in on what he had learned, then he packed up Katie and took her home.

There weren't any tears as there had been in the morning, but Katie refused to go to bed until her brother got home – even after she received her nightly phone call from her mommy. Don told his wife he would talk to her more later, then he tried again to get his little one into bed. She continued to protest, and while he knew better than to give in, when his son walked through the front door shortly after nine p.m., Katie was curled up on the couch against her father, listening to the latest in a long list of stories. He had lost count, a pile of books on the coffee table, and the picture of his wife's amusement in his mind.

"Hey, Dad," Tony greeted as he sauntered into the living room, the joy over his victory still emanating from his entire being. "What's the munchkin doin' up?"

"She wanted to say goodnight to the all-star," Don replied. He tickled her side, causing her to giggle. "Why don't you give your big brother a hug, then I'm takin' ya up to bed."

"Tony wead me 'nother story!" she insisted stubbornly.

"Nah, Tony has homework, but first I gotta talk to him about something. So you, cutie, gotta go to bed. I'm gonna be in enough trouble as it is with your mom."

Tony quirked an eyebrow, sensing that whatever his father had to tell him was important.

Half an hour later, Katie was finally asleep and Don was sitting at the kitchen table with his son, trying to figure out how to get into everything that had happened. He had no idea how Tony was going to take all of this. As Noelle had pointed out before, he was happy and well-adjusted. He was doing well in school, he had a girlfriend he adored and of whom Don and Noelle whole-heartedly approved, and he was an all-around good kid. Everything that had happened the year before – his grandmother's death, Joseph's arrest, Alyssa – had become a distant bad memory. But this had the potential to undo all of that. Especially if Joseph did half of what Don and Bobby Goren suspected he might be planning.

"Everything okay with Noelle?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. Her book signing went really well this afternoon. And she wanted me to tell you how proud she was of how you played today and how sorry she was that she missed it," Don replied.

Tony shrugged. "It's okay. I know she woulda come if she was here."

Don nodded and took a deep breath. "So, listen kid, here's the thing. Your uncle's lawyer re-filed a request for bail, and it was granted. He's been released pending trial."

Tony furrowed his brow. "Oh."

"And that's not all. He, uh – He approached Katie today while we were at the game. She was playing on the jungle gym and he went up to her and talked to her."

Tony absorbed everything, his scowl deepening.

"Don't worry, she's fine. She came right over to me after to tell me."

"What'd he say?"

Don hesitated. "She's three, kid. She's not the most intelligible witness. But it was something along the lines of him being sorry," he replied, censoring the message a little.

At that Tony scoffed. "I don't care if he's sorry. He's not my family anymore. You are. Can we make it so he can't go near Katie again? She's just a little kid and he's bad news."

"Yeah, we're working on it. And in the meantime, you'll tell me if he contacts you?"

"Okay. But I don't have to see him or talk to him, right?"

Don shook his head with a reassuring smile. "No, you don't. And remember, he's just out on bail. He's still going on trial, and Mac's assured me that the evidence is pretty solid. So…"

Tony just nodded slowly, taking everything in. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry."

"What could you possibly have to be sorry about, Antonio? You're not responsible for your uncle."

"But he talked to Katie 'cause of _me_. If he'd done somethin' bad –"

"It would be on him. But he didn't and your sister's fine. And I don't want you takin' any of this on yourself. You don't get to choose who you're related to, okay? You are _not_ responsible for anything that he does." Don appraised his son carefully. "You have no idea how proud a' you me and Noelle are, do ya? And I'm not talkin' just 'cause you threw a good game this afternoon. You're a great kid and we love you. And you're as much a part of this family as any of the rest of us."

"What if…" Tony looked down at his hands resting on the kitchen table. "I got his DNA. And my real ma's."

"Look at me, okay?" Don reached over and put a hand on his son's shoulder, then waited for Tony to raise his gaze back to meet his father's before he continued, "You know what you got from your mother and your uncle? Black hair and dark eyes. That's it. You're not gonna end up like them, Antonio. I promise you."

For a long moment, the teenager said nothing. He let everything sink in and tried to believe what Don had just promised. He had no reason_ not_ to believe it. Don was the one man who had never let him down. "Can I be a Flack?" he finally asked.

Don raised his eyebrows. "You are, kid. I just told you, you're as much –"

"No, I mean, can I have the same last name as you and Noelle and Katie?"

The request floored the usually composed homicide detective. "I, uh – Yeah. I mean, I'm not sure what has to be done legally, but I can find out. If it's something you want to do…"

"I don't think my grandma woulda minded and she's the only good thing there was about being an Alvarez. But I think of you as my dad and Noelle as my ma. And Katie's the coolest little sister ever, even though she's only three and already better at everything than me."

Don chuckled softly. "I'll call the lawyer who handled Katie's adoption and see what we gotta do, okay? But you, uh – You just made my day, kid. I'd be very proud to give you my last name."

"You think Noelle would be okay if I called her 'Ma?' 'Cause it's kinda weird to call you Dad but not call her Ma."

Flack felt tears burning his eyes. As far as he was concerned, no child he'd had a hand in creating could have made him feel any better than he felt right then. "I, uh – I think she'd probably really like that."

Tony nodded then, the tension he had felt over hearing about his uncle vanishing. "I got some math homework. I should go finish it."

'Yeah, sure, kid. Go ahead."

Left alone, Don shook his head with a smile. The turn of events in the past five minutes had changed a horrible day into one of the best. Unfortunately, Joseph was still walking free for the time being and Don really did not feel any better about that fact, despite Tony wanting to have nothing to do with him.

He was forced to escape from his thoughts by the ringing of his cell phone. He smiled as he pulled his phone from his pocket and saw his wife's number on the display. "Hey, beautiful."

"You sound tired, baby. Long day?" Noelle asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. But I wanna hear about your day. Tell me all about the book signing, then I got a few things to tell you, too." He listened proudly as she told him about the surprisingly large crowd that gathered to hear her read excerpts from her novel at a bookstore in Culver City. Then he told her about Tony's decision to take their last name, and how he wanted to call her 'Mom.' When the line when silent, Don was afraid for a moment that the call had been dropped. "Nol?"

"He actually said that?" she finally said in awe.

Don smiled at the happiness he heard in his wife's voice. "Well, he asked if I thought you'd be okay with it."

"I'd figured he would never want to. I mean, he never knew his biological father, so it didn't seem like such a stretch for him to call you Dad. But this is…Wow."

"So you're okay with it?" he teased her.

"What do you think?" she laughed. "I don't know how we did it, Donnie, but we got a couple of great children."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me. Though your daughter doesn't like to go to sleep."

Noelle laughed softly. "_My _daughter, huh? _Our _daughter is stubborn like her dad."

"Please. Stubborn? Me?"

"Uh-huh. So, you never said. What brought all this about? With Tony, I mean. He just came out and said he wanted to be a Flack?"

Don hesitated then. He really did not want his wife worrying about Joseph, not with everything else that had happened this week or when she was three thousand miles away. He cleared his throat. "We, uh – We were just talking once he got home from celebrating with the guys. I was telling him how proud we were of him and how you were sorry you weren't there."

"I _am _sorry I missed the game," Noelle said softly, not questioning her husband's explanation at all. "You know, maybe he won't think I'm cool anymore now that he looks at me as his mom."

"He's looked at you as his mom for a long time, babe. So, trust me, he's still gonna think you're cool. Well, at least until the next time you ground him." He felt a pang in his gut, realizing that he had basically just lied to Noelle, if even by omission. He knew that it was an understatement to say she would be pissed off when she found out about Joseph, and that alone should have spurred him on to tell her. However, five minutes later, they were concluding their conversation and he had gotten no closer to letting her know that Tony's uncle was out of jail and had approached their daughter at the playground.

Finally ending the call, Don told his wife he loved her and missed her and he couldn't wait until she was home again. He set his cell phone down with a sigh, wondering how much trouble he had just gotten himself into.


	140. First Rule of Marriage

**A/N **A big thank youto all of you who have welcomed me back so warmly. I appreciate all of the positive feedback. I am having so much fun writing again! I had not realized how much I missed it.

Also, for those of you who have never watched _Law & Order: Criminal Intent_, Detective Robert Goren, who appeared in the last chapter, belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC. Alas, he is not a figment of my fertile imagination. However, I am borrowing him again. I love him almost as much as the _Criminal Minds_ gang (who I also do not own but some of whom will be making an appearance in the next chapter.)

**

* * *

Danny walked into the bullpen of the Homicide Squad, slowing up his steps a little when he saw that Don was speaking rather animatedly into his desk phone. However, the homicide detective quickly waved the CSI over when he spotted him, and Messer took a seat in the visitor's chair while his best friend finished up his conversation.**

"Yeah, thanks a lot, man. I appreciate you gettin' back to me so quickly," Don said into the phone. "Yeah, yeah, that's great. Thanks again." He hung up the phone and looked at Danny. "Lorenzo says 'hi.'"

"Whatcha talkin' to my cousin for?" Messer asked with some concern. "Something happen with Joseph after you left last night? He's not causin' problems with your guardianship, is he?"

Don flashed his dimpled grin. "Nah, nothing like that. Tony wants to change his last name to Flack."

"Get outta here! Wow, that's great, man. How'd he take the news 'bout what his uncle's been up to?"

Flack shrugged. "About as well as could be expected, I guess. He tried to blame himself for the creep gettin' near Katie, but I convinced him he's not responsible for what his uncle does, blood or not. Then he pretty much said he wants nothin' to do with his biological family. That's kinda what led into him asking about taking on the name."

Danny nodded with a smile. "Very cool. So what about Hansen? I bet she was pissed when you told her about Alvarez talkin' to my favourite lab rat in the playground. Probably a good thing she's three thousand miles away. I mean, I've seen that chick lay out someone who threatened her family. I gotta be honest with ya, man: your wife kinda scares me."

Don chuckled a little at the comment, but said nothing to confirm Danny's assumptions.

Messer narrowed his eyes. "So, what'd she say?"

"Uh, nothing. I didn't tell her."

Danny's eyebrows just about hit his hairline as he looked at Don incredulously. True, Flack had not been married quite as long as he had, but Danny had always assumed he was a fairly intelligent guy who had quickly learned the basic rules of marriage – number one being not to do anything as stupid as lying to your wife.

"What? I'll tell her. As soon as she gets home, I'll tell her."

"You shoulda told her last night. Now she's gonna be mad. In fact, she's gonna be _so _mad that she's probably gonna kill you. Then she's gonna drag _my _wife into it when she needs someone to cover it up. And _I'll _probably end up involved somehow as an accessory after the fact. You really want me to have to live with that for the rest of my life?"

"Gimme a break, Danno. I just don't want her worryin' while she's on the other side of the country. She ain't gonna be mad," Flack scoffed.

"She ain't gonna be – Man, you've lost it. Two days on your own and you're completely lost all common sense. I got half a mind to call her myself and tell her – if only to save my own ass. 'Cause as soon as she finds out I was there and I didn't say nothin' either – Hell, I won't have to worry about bein' an accessory 'cause I'll be as good as dead right along with you."

"Quit being so melodramatic. You don't know my wife like I do, all right? All she's gonna care about is that Katie is safe and Tony's okay."

Danny shook his head but decided to let the subject drop. "What's the word from Goren?"

"Nothing about Tony's mother, yet. But he called with an address on Joseph. You feel like takin' a field trip during your lunch break?"

"What'd ya have in mind? A little good cop, bad cop?" Messer asked, definitely interested.

"Somethin' like that."

"Count me in."

A few hours later, Flack and Danny were climbing up the stairs of an old, dilapidated building in the Bronx. Hardly comparable to the luxury hotel Joseph had lived in prior to his arrest. However, with all of his assets currently frozen, this place was all he could manage, and Don could not help but think there was _some_ justice in the world. Of course, he would not be satisfied until Alvarez was back behind bars – preferably serving out a life sentence.

The two NYPD detectives were between the fourth and fifth floors when Don's cell phone started ringing. He quickly pulled it out of his suit jacket pocket and glanced at the call display. Seeing Robert Goren's name flash up on the screen, he held out his hand to halt Danny and brought his phone to his ear. "Bobby, you get anything?"

"Your opinion of Joseph Alvarez is about to get a whole lot worse. We're on our way to his current address to pick him up on another murder charge. Curtis Rockland."

Don leaned back against the wall in the stairwell. "Jesus Christ. When was this?"

"Fifteen years ago. Don, Curtis was Tony's biological father. He was a low-level dealer, Alvarez was working his way up the ranks. Loretta met him through her brother and they quickly got involved. Then one night just after Tony was born, things got ugly during an argument over some money Rockland had siphoned from a deal. Joseph convinced his sister that she would lose her son if she talked to the cops, so she never said anything. And it wasn't long before she was hooked on the stuff herself."

"Tony's grandmother told me his father 'disappeared,'" Don scoffed.

"Yes, well, technically, he did. No body was ever found. His brother Billy filed a missing person's report but turned cold."

"So if there's no body, you got any other proof?"

"Oh, we got the body. Loretta told us exactly where to look. CSU's digging up the grounds of a high school in midtown where they all went back in the day."

"Noli and her brother went to the same high school," Don sighed. "And the hits just keep on coming. Listen, you don't need to come. Messer and I are just outside his place. We'll be happy to do the honours."

"This is pretty personal, Don. You sure you can handle this?"

Don took a breath, knowing it was a fair question and that he shouldn't be offended. "I'm good. We were just here to offer a friendly little warning. Gettin' to nail his ass to the wall is even better. Now I know he won't get anywhere near my kids again and my son can finally put this twisted family behind him."

Goren did not respond to the comment, though from everything he had learned in the past twenty-four hours, the observation was pretty accurate. The interview with Loretta had been long. The woman had not always made a lot of sense, evidence of years of drug use. And Bobby was certainly not about to tell Don that he was sure that Loretta had not come forward out of any real concern for her son. She had heard about her brother's release, and Goren expected there was a certain amount of self-preservation at play – if she implicated her brother before he could decide to implicate her in hopes of making some kind of deal, she might not get any time added to her sentence for her involvement. "Listen, call me once you get in. Alexandra and I will walk him through."

"All right. Thanks, Bobby." Don finished the call then looked at his best friend with a shake of his head. He relayed everything he had just been told, both men feeling nothing but relief that Joseph had never managed to get Tony out of the country. Joseph had always maintained that he loved his nephew, but Flack was now pretty convinced that the man was incapable of any such thing. Tony had probably only been a means to an end – perhaps leverage to keep Loretta silent. Whatever the case may be, Don had no idea how to tell Tony that his mother and his uncle were responsible for his biological father's death.

As if reading his best friend's thoughts, Danny said, "There are some secrets worth keeping."

Don nodded solemnly.

"You're gonna have to talk to Hansen, though."

"I know. But right now, we got an arrest to make. You ready?"

"Yeah."

Both men climbed the rest of the flight of stairs, then put their hands on their guns as they walked down the hall, searching for Joseph's apartment. Finding 518, they took position on either side of the door, both ducking their heads to see if they could hear anything. Don could make out the faint sounds of a TV set on inside the unit, probably a good sign that Joseph was indeed there. They then looked at one another, unspoken signals exchanged, years of working together making it unnecessary to spell things out.

Danny counted silently to three, then yelled "NYPD" as Don kicked open the door. They both had their guns drawn, allowing Joseph no recourse as he jumped up from the couch inside the run-down room in surprise.

Seeing him glance towards a door on the other side of the room, Don growled, "Don't even think about it. I'm not really feelin' above shooting you right now."

"This is harassment. My lawyer will be hearing about this," Joseph spat back.

"Be my guest. Tell him to meet you downtown where we'll be booking you for the murder of Curtis Rockland. Hands behind your back before I decide to show you how pissed off I really am about you gettin' within two feet of my kid."

Joseph sneered. "I have no idea what you're talking about. In fact, your paranoia is a little disturbing. Makes me think Child Services might question the kind of influence you are on my nephew."

Seeing that his best friend was too angry to even speak in response to the pointless threat, Danny decided it was best to get Joseph cuffed and out of there before Don did something stupid. Messer walked over and roughly put a hand on Alvarez' shoulder to turn him around, then pulled out his cuffs and slapped them on the man's wrists. "I'll let them Mirandize you at the station. Not takin' any chances of you walkin' by accusin' us of violating your rights," Messer said, feeling as angry as Flack looked.

"Go to hell," Alvarez replied.

"Sure, you lead the way. C'mon." Danny looked over at Don whose entire being seemed to be vibrating with anger. "He's not worth it, buddy. Let's go."

Flack seemed to hear that. He nodded in agreement and they headed back to 1PP to book Joseph.

Don was all too happy to hand Alvarez over to Goren and Eames when they reached the precinct. He then let Danny guide him outside.

"C'mon, walk it off, man. He's not worth it, right? It's not like we didn't know a couple hours ago that he was scum," Messer pointed out, trying his best to quell Flack's rage.

"We didn't know he'd killed Tony's father."

"It's biology, Don. That's it. Curtis Rockland didn't deserve to die, but let's face it – he was a drug dealer who, apart from some DNA, wouldn't have contributed anything useful to Tony's existence. Tony's never even known his name, and from what you've said, he's never cared to. He's _your _son and he's a hell of lot better off because of it. So just let this be over. Alvarez is goin' away for a hell of a long time with no chance of ever gettin' near your kids again."

Flack took a long, deep breath, nodding, trying to let Messer's words penetrate through the anger. "If Tony'd left the country with him…" he finally said.

"Don't go there, man. He didn't. And look at him. He's this great kid. He's got nothin' but respect for you and Hansen, he's a great big brother to Katie, he's doin' good in school, right? And he's gonna be playin' ball in the Majors. I can feel it, man. And when he does, you know what name's gonna be on the back of his jersey? It's gonna say Flack."

"Nah, he's gonna be runnin' the Detective Squad," Don cut in with a small smile. "Fourth generation Flack in the NYPD."

"You got the junior CSI for that. My man's gotta throw the first perfect game for the Mets, all right?"

"You and your Mets. He wants to be a Yankee."

Danny rolled his eyes, but then smiled a little at the fact that Don seemed to have let go of some of the anger and frustration he had been carrying since Goren's call. "Go call your wife. Tell her you love her and you miss her and let her know what's goin' on so I can stop fearin' for my life, okay? Then go home and give Katie a kiss and tell Tony how damn proud you are that he's your son."

Don considered for a moment, then looked at Danny a little incredulously. "You sounding all wise is kinda creepin' me out, Mess."

Messer chuckled.

Flack sighed then. "My wife's gonna be pissed, isn't she?"

"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to be you right now."


	141. Talking in Circles

"Nol?" Don asked, the line having gone dead.

After what seemed like an interminable silence, Noelle said, "I knew him. Curtis. I mean, not well. I probably only saw him in passing a couple times, but I, uh – I dated his brother, Billy. We were supposed to go to prom together, and he showed up to pick me up but we never made it out of the house. Mark was living on his own by then but for some reason he was there that night. I introduced them and he quickly realized Billy was Curtis' brother and he just, like, forbid me from going anywhere with him."

Don furrowed his brow as he sat back in his desk chair. That's why the name had sounded familiar. He remembered Noli mentioning Billy once.

"_I've never brought a guy to meet my folks before. I mean, unless you count Billy Rockland, my prom date, but it turned out that his older brother had been Mark's dealer and things just didn't turn out well after that," she muttered._

"Billy and I really didn't see each other after that. He didn't appreciate Mark's guilt by association mentality because he was nothing like his brother. I mean, Billy was a really good guy. You know, I'm not sure I've ever forgiven Mark for ruining my prom," she laughed sadly. "I, uh – I remember when I came home that November for Thanksgiving, Billy and I ran into each other. He hadn't been in touch with Curtis for a while, but he said that day that he thought something might've happened to him. He was right."

"All because of Joseph."

"You realize that Billy is Tony's uncle? I wonder if he even knows Curtis had a son, that he has a nephew out there," Noelle marveled aloud. "I don't even know where he is now – if he's even still in the city or if he left, if he's married, has kids of his own…"

"We have to figure out what, if anything, to tell Tony," Don sighed.

"It'll keep until I get home. Other than you assuring him that Joseph's going back to jail." Noli took a deep breath. "What shouldn't have kept is you telling me about Joseph approaching Katie in the park. Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I talked to you twice after you got home from the game. I even asked you point-blank what brought about Tony's decision to take our name."

"Noli…"

"You lied to me! Not just by omission, but you blatantly lied to me!" she said angrily.

"I didn't want you worrying when you were three thousand miles away. There's nothin' you coulda done anyway," Don defended himself, though he was quickly figuring out just how weak an argument that was.

"They're my kids, Donnie! Whether there was anything I could have done or not, I had a right to know. You don't get to censor what I'm told about my children!"

"It's my job to protect my family. I was just –"

"No, your _job_ is to protect the city of New York. But when it comes to our children, protecting _them_ is a joint effort between me and you. And as for _me?_ I'm not nearly as fragile as you seem to think I am."

"Fragile is about the last word I'd use to describe you, doll. I know damn well how strong you are."

"You have a funny way of showing it. We're supposed to be partners. I'm not on some kind of need-to-know basis in this marriage."

"C'mon, Noli, you know that's not what I think," he replied a little more defensively – and more loudly – than he really intended. He glanced up and noticed that Scagnetti and Craddock were both staring at him, the one-sided argument a lot more interesting than the paperwork piling up on their desks. He furrowed his brow and looked away, running his free hand through his hair.

"No, you know something, Donnie, I don't really know what you're thinking. A murderer approaches our three-year-old daughter and you don't think you should tell me about it? What _is_ that?"

"Admittedly, a very stupid move. Look, babe, I'm sorry, all right?"

"That doesn't change the fact you lied to me." Noelle sighed. "I can't – I can't deal with this right now. I've got a damn interview in twenty minutes!" She was quiet again for a moment before she finally said, "Tell the kids I love them and I'll call to say goodnight in a few hours." With that, she hung up on him.

For a moment, Don just sat there in disbelief. He had finally comprehended that his wife was going to be mad, and why. However, he had figured a sincere apology would get him off the hook. The last thing he ever expected was for her to hang up on him! "Damn it."

"Nice goin', Romeo," Scagnetti teased his colleague from across the pit.

"Shut up," Don snapped.

Scagnetti and Craddock both snickered.

Flack ignored them. He booted down his computer, retrieved his gun from the top desk drawer, then stood up and pulled on his suit jacket from the back of his chair.

Forty minutes later, Don walked into his parents' house to retrieve his little girl, an exuberant hug from Katie quickly breaking through the tension of the day. "Get your backpack, Katie-bear, and we'll go pick up some pizza for dinner, okay?"

The three-year old nodded excitedly then ran off to collect her things.

Don Sr. took one look at his son and knew the day had not been a good one. "Joseph?" he asked simply.

Flack quickly gave his old man a run down, from what they had discovered about Alvarez and the identity of Tony's biological father to his fight with his wife. "Well, not so much a fight. She did all the yelling."

"I hate to say it, son –"

"Ah c'mon, Pop. I was gonna tell her!"

"But you didn't. Not when it counted. I have to agree with Noelle on this one, Donnie. She had a right to know. They're her kids, too."

"She woulda been worried. She's three thousand miles away!"

Jump shook his head. "For a smart man, you can be awfully thick sometimes, son. And you should know that wife of yours well enough by now to know that she doesn't appreciate your over-protectiveness."

"So what do I do now?" Don asked. He knew his parents had not made it through over forty years of marriage without his father having to make _something_ up to his mother a time or two.

"You give her some time to cool off, you continue to apologize, and you tell you understand why she's mad. Then you stop trying to protect your wife and instead show her the respect she deserves."

Don furrowed his brow. "I respect my wife, Pop."

"Daddy! Daddy! We have pepp'woni, wight?" Katie pleaded as she ran back out into the foyer.

Jump chuckled softly at both his granddaughter's excitement over a pizza and the lingering look of confusion on his son's face. He reached over and patted his eldest son's cheek. "You get to the point your mother and I are at, you'll have all of this figured out."

"You know you're _my_ father, right? You're supposed to take _my _side."

"There are no sides here, Donnie." He crouched down in front of Katie. "I'll see ya tomorrow, cutie. You think about what you want to do with your old granddad for the day."

"We go to the 'quar'um! They has sea ossers!" she pleaded.

"You want to go to the Aquarium? All right, munchkin. You know I can't say 'no' to you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Gwampa!"

"I love you, too, sweetheart. Can you tell your mommy something when she calls you to say goodnight?"

She nodded.

"Tell her not to be too hard on your old man here."

Katie grinned. "'kay. I tell her."

Don glowered much to his father's amusement, then he took his daughter's hand and led her out to the car.

Tony was in the living room working on his math homework when his dad and sister walked in through the front door. Don sent Katie upstairs to wash up for supper and took the opportunity to tell his son that Joseph was back in custody while he got the table set. He kept his explanation vague. Noelle had been right – they needed to figure out together exactly what, if anything, to tell him about his biological father, and Joseph's and Loretta's part in his murder.

When Noelle called to say goodnight to Katie, Tony – having no knowledge of the argument his parents had – rushed to answer the phone. He couldn't wait to tell his mom himself about winning the ballgame the day before and how Flack said it shouldn't be too hard to change his name. He asked her excitedly whether it was hot in L.A. and if she had seen any celebrities, then passed the phone on to his impatient little sister before disappearing into his room to finish his homework.

"You come home, Mommy?" Katie asked hopefully.

"Soon, sweetheart. How many more sleeps?" Noelle coaxed her.

"Five."

"That's right, Katie-bear. But I miss you like crazy."

"I miss you, Mommy. And Wocco miss you, too! An' Gwampa say not be hard on Daddy!" she recalled proudly, quoting her grandfather.

Noelle found herself laughing softly at the plea. "I see. Okay, sweetheart. You ready for bed?"

"I wear my Winnie Pooh 'jamas! And Daddy wead me two stories. I go s'eep now 'cause Gwampa an' me go to the 'quar'um 'morrow! I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, Katie. Can you put Daddy on the phone for me?"

"'kay. Night, Mommy."

Don took the phone from his daughter, telling her to go hop into bed and he would be there to tuck her in in a few minutes. He then wandered down the hall to his and Noelle's bedroom and shut the door. "Hi, babe," he greeted her a little tentatively.

"Hi," she replied softly.

"I know I screwed up. I'm sorry," he said earnestly.

Noelle was quiet for a moment. "Do you get why I'm mad? That it doesn't matter if I was in any position to do anything or not, but that I have a right to know?" she finally asked, her tone calm but convicted.

"Yeah, I get it. Pop told me I need to stop being so overprotective."

"I've always liked your father."

Don chuckled, hearing his wife's voice soften. He sobered quickly, though. "I hate fighting with you."

"It's not high on my list, either. But Don, I am still really pissed off about this. I can't get over the fact that you lied to me. Good intentions or not, concerned about me or not, you lied. And about something that had to do with our children's safety."

He sighed. "I said I'm sorry, Nol. What more do you want me to do?" he asked helplessly.

"I don't know, Don."

For a minute, neither one of them spoke, though neither was willing to hang up without some sort of resolution. Finally, it was Don who broke the silence. "Jesus, babe, I tell ya, when I was standing in that room today with Joseph, I couldn't even move. I was just filled with this rage. I don't like that feeling. But this – this is worse."

"Well, what do you want _me_ to say? I'm not going to make you feel better about lying to me and the consequences of that."

Before either could say anymore, Don heard the faint sound a knock on Noelle's hotel room door.

"Emily and JJ are here. They closed their case so they're going to stay in town tonight. We're supposed to head out to dinner then meet up with Remy at this club. Just let me tell them –"

"No, go. Just call me when you get back."

"It'll be the middle of the night there, Don."

"You think I'm gonna be sleeping? But seein' as we're talking in circles, we're obviously not gonna fix this right now. So, go out with your friends," he urged her, hoping that maybe it would give her some more time to cool down and him some more time to figure out how to convince her that he had learned his lesson.

He heard her walking and opening up the door to the girls as she considered. Finally she said to him, "Okay. I'll call you later."

"I love you, Noli. Please, if nothin' else, know that."

"I know. I love you, too. Bye."

Don hung up the phone then flung it onto the bed in frustration.

* * *

"Oh, it's so good to see you guys," Noelle greeted Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau each with a hug.

"You, too, honey. But what's going on? That didn't sound good just now," Emily commented, pointing to the cell phone still in Noelle's hand.

Noli sighed. "I'm not going to bore you with the details of a fight with my husband." She groaned then. "But I can't believe he lied to me!"

"All right, you know what you need? A couple margaritas. Let's go down to the bar and grab some drinks before dinner and you can tell us exactly what that gorgeous husband of yours has done to tick you off. Then we'll figure out whether to send Morgan and Rossi to kick his ass. They didn't have any plans for tonight."

Noelle laughed softly. "That sounds perfect. But I think I owe you at least two rounds before laying any of this on you."

The girls order a pitcher of margaritas after settling in a booth in the hotel bar. After a couple rounds and Emily and JJ telling her a bit about the case they had just closed, Noelle filled the BAU agents in on what had gone down back at home.

"Okay, I'm not defending Don, but I _do_ understand where he was coming from," JJ said.

"He should have told her," Emily replied.

Noelle polished off her second margarita then sat back in her chair. "The problem is that he thinks he's still a cop when he walks through the front door of our house. You know, he bleeds blue, and it's just in his nature to always serve and protect. He just doesn't get that _I_ don't need to be protected, and I definitely don't need to be policed." She started fidgeting with the cocktail napkin sitting on the table in front of her.

Emily shook her head.

"What?"

"Just what you said about his instinct being to protect. Being an agent, I can understand that. I think it's probably something we're all guilty of. Ours isn't exactly the kind of job you can leave behind at the office. And I imagine that's only magnified when you've got children. So I guess I'm with JJ."

"Am I being too hard on him then?"

JJ shook her head. "Honey, we might see where he's coming from, but that doesn't mean that what he did was right. And you're not wrong to be upset. I know if it was Will, I'd be pretty ticked off."

Emily smiled a little in amusement then.

"What's that look for?"

"I don't know. I guess I always thought of you and Don as this perfect, über couple. But after seeing him go all jealous Neanderthal on Saturday night and now this, I think I'm getting that you're actually pretty normal."

Noelle found herself laughing. "We are far from perfect, Em. All I'd have to do is tell you about that man's inability to find the laundry hamper and I'd be able to shatter any illusions you may have. Okay, enough of this. C'mon, let's go grab some Italian, then maybe I'll considering putting him out of his misery before we head to the club."

"I knew you'd cave," JJ teased her friend.

"I said _maybe_."


	142. Clarity

**A/N **Thank you to all of you who continue to read and review. It encourages me to continue and I'm having too much fun right now to stop! xoxoxox mustlovecat

* * *

Don gave up on the novel he had been reading when he realized he had re-read the same sentence at least six times. He tossed the book onto the coffee table then laid his head back against the couch. Since when did protecting the people you loved turn into a crime punishable by an angry wife? He sighed, the answer to the question obvious – because suddenly he was remembering a phone call well over a year ago, and Mac telling him while he was in Toronto that Carlos Caravaggio had approached Noli and Katie in a coffee shop in the Village. It had taken the seasoned CSI ten minutes to calm Flack down enough to even talk to him. If he had not been notified until his return home, he would have been livid about being left out of the loop. And with that, it started to really sink in why Noelle was angry at him now – and he could hardly blame her.

"Hey, Dad, look at what Sonny got for his birthday," Tony said excitedly as he ran into the living room and thrust his cell phone at his father.

Don escaped his thoughts and took the phone, looking at the picture on the screen. He whistled. "Wow, that is one sweet ride! What is that? A '67, '68?"

"It's a '68 GT500 Shelby. Isn't it cool?" Tony took the phone back, looking at the picture with wide eyes.

"Very cool. But don't go gettin' any ideas there, Antonio. You won't be getting anything _close _to that for your birthday," Flack pointed out.

"I know," Tony nodded in resignation, sitting down on the couch next to his father. His eyes lit up then. "Although, if I had my own ride, I could help with Katie more – you know, pick her up from Grandma and Grandpa's when she's there and stuff."

Don smirked at his negotiating tactics. "Right. Well, how 'bout you worry about getting your license first? We'll get you into some Driver's Ed. classes in the fall and go from there, all right? But for the record, I was eighteen before I had my first set of wheels, and I had to scrimp and save for that car. And trust me, it was no 'Stang. When I was _your _age, I had to resort to hotwiring my old man's cruiser for a joy ride."

Tony raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, don't get any ideas about that, either. But I'm pretty sure the story's gonna get around to you at some point so there's no point in hiding it. Anyway, your granddad figured it out and sent one of his buddies from the precinct out to pick me up. Fortunately I talked my way out of a trip downtown. Don't think you'll be so lucky if you ever get caught pulling something like that."

"I got no intention of getting myself grounded again," Tony replied a little sheepishly.

Don chuckled. "That's good to hear."

Tony furrowed his brow then. "Is everything okay with you and Ma?" he asked.

Flack quirked an eyebrow. "Why would you ask that?"

"It's just that I heard Katie tell her something about not being too hard on you, and then you disappeared to talk to her alone...And you looked kinda upset when I came down just now."

"You been livin' with a detective too long there, kid." Don sighed. "You don't gotta worry about your ma and me. We're fine. She's just – Uh, she's just kinda mad at me."

"What'd ya do?" Tony inquired suspiciously.

Don almost laughed. There was a slight accusatory tone in his question that Don guessed was rooted in the protectiveness he had shown towards Noelle and Katie from the beginning – the same thing that had gotten Flack into trouble. He realized he should pass on his new-found wisdom to his son to ensure he never made the same mistake. "When I was talking to her last night, I kinda failed to mention that Joseph had been released and that he approached Katie in the playground."

"'Cause you didn't want her to worry, right?" Tony's tone changed from critical to understanding.

"Yeah. But your ma doesn't really appreciate being kept in the dark, even if my intentions were good."

"I guess I can get that."

"Very diplomatic of you there. Seein' it from both sides," Don teased him.

Tony shrugged. "Did you say you were sorry?"

"Yeah, but she just needs some time. And I guess I did, too, 'cause I didn't really get why she was so upset earlier, but I do now. If it were me, I know I'd be pretty ticked off, 'cause as far as either of us are concerned, you and Katie are the most important things in the world." Don looked at his son seriously. "I'm probably the last guy who should be handin' out relationship advice seein' as my wife is mad at me right now. But I'll pass on what your grandfather said this afternoon, 'cause it's probably the smartest thing you can do, buddy, and that's just to treat your girl with the utmost respect. I guess I didn't really do that when I lied to your mother."

"Well, you didn't really lie. You just didn't tell her somethin'. Although, I guess that's _kinda_ the same thing."

Don nodded. "Actually, I _did _lie, 'cause I told her about you wanting to change your name and when she asked me what had brought that about, I didn't say anything about Joseph or our discussion." He sighed. He realized then that he was doing the same thing to Tony – at least, the lie of omission – by not telling him what he had learned about his biological father. Noelle had personal experience with wondering where she came from, and he knew that the best course of action would be full disclosure. However, if that was the route they decided to take, he agreed that Noelle should be present. "Anyway, point is I screwed up. So now I just gotta wait for your ma to cool down."

"Mom's kinda stubborn, but I don't think she could stay mad at you for too long."

Don chuckled. "You've figured that out about her, huh? Although she calls me the stubborn one."

Tony just shrugged with a lop-sided smile. "I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see ya in the morning."

"Yeah. Goodnight, kid." Don watched Tony disappear from the room and up the stairs, then shook his head with a grin. He and Noelle definitely had a couple smart kids, that was for sure.

He glanced over the clock on the DVR and realized it was barely 7:00pm in L.A. It would probably be a few hours yet before Noelle got back from her night out with the girls and bothered to call him back. So he grabbed his cell phone and the discarded novel from the coffee table then locked up the house and headed up to the master bedroom, ready to settle in and wait.

* * *

"Ten bucks says she calls him before we get inside," Emily said under her breath to JJ as they followed Noelle out of a cab in front of a club on Wiltshire.

JJ shook her head. "No way. She's going to hold out until she gets back to the hotel, just to make him suffer a bit more."

"Are you kidding? Look at her. She's miserable."

The two FBI agents appraised their friend who had stopped on the sidewalk. She was making no moves to approach the line of people standing outside the hotspot at which Remington had insisted they meet and instead seemed quite pensive. Emily prepared herself to collect on her bet.

"I'm going to call him," Noli finally said.

"Call who?"

The three spun around as Remington approached. Suddenly Don was forgotten as Noelle excitedly hugged the friend she had not seen in over a year, then she introduced her to Emily and JJ. "Oh, my God. I can't believe we're actually in the same city! And you look so incredible," Noli gushed.

"Not as good as you. Success certainly agrees with you. And I am so happy about your book. It's phenomenal, Noelle. Seriously, I read it on the plane back from London and I couldn't put it down!" Remy praised her proudly.

"You're one of my oldest friends, Remy. You have to say that," Noelle laughed.

"You know she's right, Nol," Emily agreed.

"C'mon, let's go inside. This place has the absolute best apple martinis. And I want to hear all about the release party and the last couple days. Oh, and you must have the inside scoop, so you can tell me why Jason Cartwright parted company with Spencer-Carmichael."

Noelle put an arm around former college roommate. "I'm going to need one of those martinis before answering that question."

The girls moved into the upscale club. Remy knew the manager, so the foursome secured a nice secluded table and a couple rounds of free drinks. They toasted each other with a round of Kamikaze shots then started in on the martinis. Noelle filled Remy in what had all gone down with Jason, swearing her friend to secrecy since she still worked some freelance photo assignments with _Moda Bella_. Next, Remy regaled the women with some stories from her recent travels throughout Europe. Then the conversation eventually moved to the release of Noelle's book.

"What are you going to be working on next?" Remy asked anxiously. "Please tell me you're going to write a sequel."

Noelle bit her lip. "I thought about it, but I don't think I can. In my head, there will never be anyone but Alexa for Max, you know? I like to picture him just never finding anyone who can compare."

Remington scoffed. "You have always been the world's biggest romantic."

"No, you're just a cynic."

"I think I have to agree with Remy on this," said Emily. "You know that in the real world, there's no way Max would stay single for long. Men just aren't built that way."

"_Nobody's_ built that way," Remington pointed out, bringing her drink to her lips.

"Says the woman who thinks monogamy is a dying art form," Noelle said with a roll of her eyes.

"I just don't have the patience required to maintain a relationship. I can admit that. And I'm definitely way too selfish. Or so my second ex-husband would have you believe."

JJ shook her head. "Relationships do take a lot of work. But it is _so_ worth it."

"Thank you," Noelle said, picking up her glass and clinking it against the BAU liaison's. She scrunched up her nose then as she remembered the state that she had left her own relationship. "I can't believe I didn't call him back. I have to go call him."

"What are you talking about?" Remy asked.

"Emily and JJ will fill you in. I'll be right back." Noelle got up, grabbing her purse. "Oh, and technically, I believe neither of you wins the bet since JJ specified I'd wait until I got back to the hotel. I may have been moping, but I wasn't deaf." She smiled then headed through the thick crowd that had gathered in the club and made her way outside.

Finding somewhat quiet spot away from the throngs of people, Noelle pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number for Don's. She bit her lip as the line rang one, then twice, and then a third time. "C'mon, pick up. Pick up," she found herself pleading.

"Hey, babe," Don greeted just before his cell went to voicemail, his voice laced with sleep.

"I thought you said you'd still be up," she teased him.

"I thought you were going to call me when you got back to the hotel. You sound like you're outside, though."

"Yeah, we're still out. I just – I didn't want to fight anymore." She hesitated for a moment. "Promise me you'll never lie to me again. Even if you think it's for my own good."

"I promise. I'm sorry, doll. I really am. If it'd been me, I woulda been pissed so I get it."

"I know why you did it. But Donnie, you're not a cop when it comes to this relationship. You don't have to protect me all the time. Just love me."

"You know I do, Nol. Jesus, babe. You got no idea."

Noelle smiled to herself. "Yeah, I do. And I love you, too. And I miss you. And monogamy's not just some illusion, right?"

Don chuckled. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Just something Remy seems to believe."

"Well, how much have you had to drink that you're starting to question it?" he kidded.

"Um, since we got to the club or including the margaritas before dinner and the wine at the restaurant?"

He laughed. "Remember to drink some water when you get back to the hotel, huh? Now go have fun with your friends, baby. I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and Remy's wrong. I ain't goin' anywhere."

She sighed. "I really hate being three thousand miles away."

"Me, too. But I promise that when you get home on Tuesday, there's gonna be some serious makin' up. I'm talkin' me doin' things to you that're gonna make you forget your name, let alone why you were ever mad at me."

Noelle felt her face flush. "Well, that's going to fuel a few fantasies."

"Yeah, I'm kinda wishing you were at least back at the hotel right now." He cleared his throat. "I don't want you to go, but you better before Prentiss and Jareau call in FBI reinforcements. And I gotta go take a cold shower, anyway."

She laughed softly. "Okay, I'm going. I'll talk to you in the morning. I love you. Bye, Donnie."

"'Night, babe."

Noelle hung up her phone and slid it back into her purse with a long sigh. What was it she had said to Katie earlier? Five more sleeps? Damn that was a long time.


	143. Disclosure

"What about her, munchkin? That your mommy?"

Katie giggled as she shook her head.

Danny pretended to consider for a moment, then pointed to an elderly lady walking slowly across the waiting area on the other side of the bank of the chairs he and his young charge were occupying. "That's her, right? That's gotta be her."

"No, silly!"

He smirked, pulling the little girl from her own seat up onto his lap and tickling her sides. "_I'm _silly?"

"You know Mommy, Uncle Danny!"

"I do? I dunno. Nah, I don't think I remember. What's she look like again?"

"She weally, weally pwetty! See!" Katie pointed with wide eyes and a huge, toothy grin, struggling against Danny to let her down when she noticed Noelle exit through the last set of doors that separated the passengers from their loved ones at La Guardia. The CSI being no match for a squirmy three year old, she was running as soon as her feet hit the ground, despite the vain admonishment from Messer to stay where he could see her. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Noelle glanced up and smiled broadly as she saw her daughter running towards her. She dropped her purse and let go of the handle on her rolling suitcase and scooped Katie up in her arms, hugging her tightly against her. "Oh, my sweet Katie-bear. I missed you, baby!" She showered her with kisses then just hugged her close to her again.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Danny kidded as he finally reached the two.

Noelle quirked an eyebrow. "Wow, honey, I know it's only been a week, but you've really changed."

He smirked. "That's real cute, Hansen. Nah, Flack got called into some big pow-wow with the brass so I said I'd come in his place."

"This isn't exactly the homecoming I had in mind," she drawled. "You said the brass? There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, nothin' to worry about. Just some rich kid whose uncle plays golf with the mayor and is makin' a lot of noise. Once Flack's been suitably yelled at for not havin' a suspect in custody yet, he'll be home. So what d'ya say, CSI Flack? Time to get your mama home?"

"Yay!" Katie cheered, hugging her mommy closely. "An' you stay forever with me and Daddy and Tony and Wocco!"

Noelle did not say anything in response. She had a feeling that when the time came, leaving for each of the last two legs on her tour would end up being as painful as it was the first time.

Katie did most of the talking for the first few minutes of the drive from the airport to Flack and Noelle's house in Queens Village. She told her mommy about her two trips to the Crime Lab and how Uncle Danny and Aunt Lindsay had let her look in lots of microscopes. Then she told her about the dolphins she had seen at the Aquarium, but that Grampa had said they could not live in bathtubs so she had not been allowed to bring one home. At a stoplight, Noelle glanced over at Danny in amusement.

"Oh, and your son's best friend got a classic car for his birthday, so expect lots of whining for the next three months," Messer cut in during a break in Katie's narrative.

"Seriously?" Noelle shuddered. "Tony. Driving. Throat closing."

Danny chuckled. "Relax. Ya still got a few months to get used to the idea. And I wouldn't worry. Ya got yourselves a real good kid there."

"The operative word being 'kid.' How is it that you have to be eighteen to vote but you can operate a machine that can cause death when you're _my son's age_?" she asked in horror.

"Flack was hotwiring –"

"Yeah, yeah, I know the story. And if your next line is that he lived to tell about it, I don't want to hear it. Don did a lot of things at that age that I don't want to think about Tony doing."

Danny smirked. "And you didn't?"

"I was an angel. Just like my baby Katie's going to be. Right Katie-bear?" Noelle looked over her shoulder and laughed at the wide smile on her daughter's face – the one that always had just a touch of mischief in it.

"Really?" Messer scoffed. "Because I remember Mark tellin' me about this time when you got a hold of a bottle of JD and –"

"Danny!"

He just chuckled.

A few minutes later, he turned the Lab-issued SVU into the Flacks' driveway, Danny noticing a flash of disappointment on Noelle's face when she did not see Don's car already parked in front of the garage.

Turning off the ignition, he glanced into the back and saw that Katie had actually dozed off. Figuring they had a couple minutes before she woke from the stillness of the car, he looked back at Noelle, hesitating for just a moment before he admitted, "I was with Don when he found out about Curtis Rockland."

She furrowed her brow.

"Anyway, I did some checking..."

"Did Don...?"

"No, this was all me. I'm pretty sure he hasn't thought about what's next. This whole thing hit him pretty hard, and with you not bein' here...Look, I just figured knowledge is power, right?" He reached into the pocket of his polo shirt. "Billy Rockland's living in Colorado now. Wife, three kids. Good job. The parents are both dead – car accident 'bout six, seven years ago." He went to hand her the sheet of paper with all of the info on it. However, before she could take it, he balked. "But you want _my_ take?"

"It's not like I have a choice," she said with a small smile.

He offered the trade-mark Messer grin. "True. Look, most adoptive parents have no contact with the biological family. Now, I don't know what the difference is between bein' legal guardians and adoptive parents and all that. My guess is it's all semantics. But bottom line, Tony wants to be a Flack. Now, I remember you comin' to me because you wanted to know where you came from. And I get why maybe that's important for a kid. But you and Don, you've given him a good family. You're not obligated to bring this Billy guy into his life."

Noelle considered. "Most adoptive families don't know as much as Don and I do. I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't seem so cloudy if I didn't know Billy, either," she said quietly.

"It's been fifteen years, Hansen. You _don't _know him anymore. Look, it ain't my decision. And you know me and Linds will always back you guys no matter what. I'm just pointing out what you already know: family's what you make it."

"Thanks, Danny." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

He shrugged.

Danny grabbed Noelle's luggage while she eased a still-sleeping Katie out of the car seat in the back and carried her inside. Rocco greeted them at the door, rubbing his head against Noelle and jumping up against her in excitement over her homecoming, and waking his favourite playmate in the process.

"I missed you, too, Rocco," Noli admitted, petting the dog affectionately. She looked at Danny then. "Do you want to hang out until Don gets home?"

"Nah, that's okay. I know you've been flying all night and probably just wanna chill out. But call if you guys need anything, huh?"

She nodded. "Thanks again."

While she was waiting for Don to get home, Noelle took her bags upstairs with her daughter and dog in tow. She unpacked, then realized that with the clothes she had just added, she had a hamper full of laundry that needed to be washed. She threw the first load in the washing machine with a sigh. _No rest for the wicked_, she thought. All she really wanted was a long, hot shower, but Katie had practically attached herself to her hip, so instead, the two curled up together on the couch in the living room and Noelle read to her little girl.

Noli was starting to wonder just how late her husband had been letting their daughter stay up as the toddler fell asleep again half-way through the second story book. However, she decided that instead of admonishing Don, she was going to thank God for small favours. She took Katie up and tucked her into her bed, then headed into the master bedroom's en suite and stripped off her clothes before stepping into a steaming, hot shower.

Noelle sighed as she felt all the stiffness from sitting on a plane and in airports all night slowly leave her body. And when she heard something out in the bedroom moments later, instead of being startled, she smiled in anticipation. Sure enough, a shadow crossed the frosted glass of the shower door just seconds before it opened.

"Welcome home, babe," Don greeted with his lop-sided grin, his blue eyes darkening at the sight in front of him, the clothes he had worn to his meeting with the brass having been discarded in the bedroom.

She bit her lip, her breath catching a little. "Hi," she finally squeaked out.

"I gotta tell ya, finding you like this makes up for missin' ya at the airport," he said as he stepped inside and closed the shower door behind him. He gave her an intense once-over, recommitting every inch of her to memory.

She blushed under gaze. "Donnie..."

He backed her up against the tile then leaned down and captured her mouth in a deep and languid kiss. "I missed you," he confessed hoarsely when they came up for air.

"I missed you, too, baby." She stood up on her tip-toes and met his kiss again, her hands sliding up the sinewy muscles of his back until they were dragging through his short hair.

Don's hands moved from her face down her sides, his fingers coming to splay across her hips. "This okay or do you wanna go –?"

"Donnie, if you're not inside of me in like thirty seconds, I'm filing for divorce," Noelle threatened impatiently.

He chuckled. He hitched her legs up around his waist and pressed her into the wall for leverage before he complied with her demands. It was not the slow and languorous encounter he had pictured. But after a week of missing her more than he had expected, his ability to maintain control for any length of time would have been sorely tested under any circumstance. So quick and a little rough would definitely suffice for now.

"That's it. You're not leavin' town again," Don said as they dressed in their bedroom after.

She laughed softly. "What, our intimate nightly phone calls weren't enough for you?"

"Compared to _that_? Jesus, babe. C'mon, admit it, did you think the sex would still be this good a year and a half into bein' married?"

She shrugged with a blush in her cheeks. "I'm still making up for lost time, remember? I don't have the decades of experience you have," she teased him.

He rolled his eyes. He zipped up his jeans, then walked over and pulled her into his arms. "It's good to have you home, doll."

Noelle hugged him tightly, appreciating the feel of being enclosed in his strong arms. No place else had she ever felt so safe – or treasured. "I'd have something to say about our daughter being so tired that she's napping in the middle of the morning, but we wouldn't have been able to do that just now if she'd been awake."

He pulled back and looked at her seriously. "I swear, Nol, I put her to bed at the normal time every night. She, uh – She just doesn't seem to stay there."

She laughed in amusement. "That's because she's got you wrapped around her little finger. You and your double standards. 'Cause I bet if _she_ asked for a car for her birthday, there'd be one with a big red bow on it sitting out in the driveway."

"Danny told ya, huh? Talk about a sweet ride. The Logans didn't do us any favours buyin' Sonny a set of wheels like that Shelby for his sixteenth birthday."

Noelle shook her head. "You boys and your toys."

Don shrugged with a smile. He took her hand and led her over to the bed where he sat down on its edge before pulling her down onto his lap. "Don't worry, I already told Tony he's not gettin' a car."

She nodded then just rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "What are we going to tell him?"

Flack knew she was no longer talking about cars and sixteenth birthdays. He let out a long exhalation at the change of topic, a topic that had been weighing heavily on his mind since Joseph's arrest. "I say we tell him that we stumbled on some limited info about his biological father and it's his should the time come that he ever want it. Then we leave it at that. Nol, Curtis knew about his son; we have to work on the assumption that his family must've known about him, too. So, couldn't they have come forward back when Curtis disappeared if they wanted any contact?"

Noelle absorbed her husband's logical take on the situation and found herself nodding. "I guess it just feels kind of weird because we know so much. And, I mean, I _dated_ Billy."

"I know. But sweetheart, Tony's _our_ son now. By his choice. I didn't offer our name, he asked. So why don't we just leave it up to him?"

"I can live with that. But Don, I think we should tell him Curtis is dead. He's probably thought all these years that his father just abandoned him."

Don nodded.

"And should he ask, Danny did some digging. Billy's in Colorado, with a wife and kids. His parents died in a car accident a few years ago."

Flack smirked. "That's Messer. Always watchin' our backs."

"He's a good friend. Though, I was a little disappointed to see _him_ at the airport. I think Linds would have been a little pissed off if I'd done to him what I was planning to do to you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah? And what was that?"

"This..." She cupped his face in his hands then kissed him thoroughly, her tongue sweeping into his mouth and leaving him with no doubt as to how much she had missed being in his physical proximity over the past week.

"If you ever do that to Messer, _I'll _be pissed off," Don quipped when the need for oxygen took precedence over the pleasure of the kiss.

She laughed softly.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep, babe? You must be exhausted."

"Katie..."

"I'll keep her occupied. Knowing you're home will be enough for her."

Noelle managed to get a few hours' sleep and was feeling much more human when she joined her daughter and husband in the living room in the early afternoon. Katie climbed into her lap and peppered her with questions about her trip, all of which she answered patiently, just happy to be home with her family. Every once in a while she would catch Don's eye, and the look she saw there made her shiver right down to her toes. She knew that there was promise there, one that said that the shower had been only a prelude and once the kids were asleep tonight he would show her exactly how much she had been missed. _She_ definitely intended to take advantage of the next three days before she had to leave once again.

Shortly after four, Tony came bounding in through the front door. He dumped his backpack in the foyer then headed into the living room. Not finding anyone there, he furrowed his brow until he heard voices. He headed through the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the fridge, then walked out through the sliding glass doors. He found Katie and Rocco running around the backyard, and Don and Noelle sitting on the wood swing and laughing about something.

Hearing the door, Noelle's eyes lit up at the sight of her son. She jumped up and ran over to him, hugging him tightly, not caring if he minded or not. "Oh, sweetheart, I missed you!"

"Can't...breathe...Ma."

Her smile just broadened at hearing him call her 'Ma.' Sure, he had said it on the phone a couple times in the past week, but there was nothing like hearing him say it in person. "Sorry. Sorry. Okay, let me look at you. Did you eat anything other than pizza this week?"

He held up the apple in his hand. "Sure. See, there's fruit in the house," he replied.

Noli rolled her eyes. "That's about it from what I could see. You've grown three inches since I left, haven't you?"

Tony looked over at his Flack. "Dad, help me out here."

Don chuckled. "Sorry, man, nothin' I can do. It's a mother's prerogative to fuss over her kids. You've never noticed my ma whenever I walk through the front door over there?"

Resigned, Tony let Noli look him over until she was satisfied. Then he walked over and sat in one of the Adirondack chairs next to the swing. "So, ya meet anyone famous? Hey, did you go up the Space Needle in Seattle?"

"Uh, yes, and no. I saw the Dave Grohl walking down the street when we were in San Francisco. That count?"

"Seriously? Cool!" Tony looked at his dad as his parents sat back down on the swing, explaining, "He's in the Foo Fighters."

Don fought back a laugh. "I know who Dave Grohl is. You know I'm only a year older than your ma, right?"

Tony just grinned.

"How was school? Did you get your English essay back yet?" Noelle asked.

"Yeah, I got an A minus."

"You're going to finish the year on the honour roll, sweetheart. We're so proud of you."

"But you're still not gettin' a car," Don cut in before Tony could say anything.

"But I can get my permit, right? And you'll teach me how to drive?" the fifteen year old pleaded.

"That we can do." Don glanced over at his wife and nearly broke out laughing at the expression of panic on her face. "Breathe, babe. Any guy who can pitch a fastball with as much accuracy as Tony here can drive a car. We'll start off in a parking lot like my old man did with me and Will."

"Can we start this weekend?"

"No. You get your permit first. We're not breakin' any laws."

Tony took a bite of his apple in resignation. "Sometimes it sucks havin' a cop for a dad."

Don chuckled.

Noelle glanced out and saw that Katie was busy in the sandbox and oblivious to their conversation, so she looked over at Don and raised an eyebrow.

He took a deep breath and nodded, knowing now was as good a time as any. "So listen, Tony, we, uh – When all the stuff was going down with Joseph last week, we found out some information about your, uh – your biological father."

Tony furrowed his brow, the look on his face full of trepidation.

Noelle was pretty sure he was bracing himself for something bad, and with everything that had happened, it was a perfectly natural reaction. And sadly, they were not going to be able to contradict the instinct, no matter how much he wanted to hear. She reached over and put a hand on his leg. At least they could spin the news of Curtis' death. "He never left you, honey. He died when you were just a baby."

The boy absorbed the news stoically, as he had dealt with everything else.

Neither Don nor Noelle said anymore for a couple of minutes, letting him process what they had told him so far. Finally, it was Don who broke the silence as he softly said, "We don't know a lot more. But what limited info we have, it's yours if you want it. Or I can probably dig around to find out more. But it's completely your call."

Tony shook his head without any thought. "No. I just wanna be _your_ kid. That's okay, right?"

Don put an arm around his wife and looked at his son with a matter-of-fact smile. "Of course it's okay. We just, uh – We just wanted to be honest with you. It'll be the same with Katie when she's old enough."

Tony nodded slowly.

Noelle reached over and put a hand against his cheek. "We love you so much, sweetheart. And you have no idea how happy we are that you want to take our name and call yourself a Flack. But it really doesn't matter whether you have the same last name or not because nothing will ever change how blessed we feel just to have you in our lives."

"You're gettin' all mushy," he complained then with a grimace. "This gonna happen every time you go away?"

Neither Noelle nor Don could suppress a laugh. "Just for that, you better believe it," Noli teased him.

There was virtually no food in the house, but Noelle refused to order pizza on principle. So the family sat around the kitchen table for the first time in a week over Chinese take-out. Then once Katie had been successfully tucked in for the night, and Tony headed to his room to finish his homework, Don and Noelle curled up together on the sofa in the living room, two bottles of beer forgotten on the coffee table as they made out like a couple of teenagers.

"We should probably go upstairs before this turns into something more and we risk traumatizing our son," Don suggested.

"Can I ask you something first?"

He brushed her hair off her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. "You can ask me anything, babe."

"How is it that the fridge is fully stocked with beer but all that passes for food is like two apples and three slices of cold pizza?"

"I don't know what the problem is. That used to pass for a balanced diet back in the day," Don kidded.

She rolled her eyes. "How did you ever survive without me?"

He pulled back and looked at her. "God only knows, doll."


	144. Miserable

**A/N I realize it has been a couple weeks since I last posted. Sorry! Work has been crazy busy and I'm up for a big promotion so that has been my focus. But I missed Don and Noelle so I had to get this up. Warning: Fluffiness ahead. And a bit of everything, including D/L and a hint of SMacked. Have a good weekend everyone - and thanks for your ongoing love and support. xoxoxo mustovecat**

* * *

Danny ducked under the crime scene tape that crossed the front door of Brooklyn brownstone, the site of the city's latest homicide. He gently set his kit down on the marble floor of the foyer and took a moment to admire the view. His wife was crouched down on the floor taking pictures, her fine form hiding the victim. He would have whistled his appreciation at the beautiful woman he had married, but realized that would be inappropriate considering Lindsay was snapping pictures of a corpse. And as he stepped around and saw the dead body of the brownstone's wealthy owner, he cringed. He did not need Sid to tell him COD was blunt force trauma.

"Hey, babe," Lindsay greeted, snapping one last picture before glancing up at her husband. "Nice of you to join me."

He shrugged. "Sorry, Montana. There was an accident in the tunnel. So, what's, uh – What's with the rookie out there?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the open doorway where a new officer was standing guard out on the front steps. "Lambert looks like he's closed to sheddin' a few tears or somethin'."

Lindsay fought back a chuckle. "Yeah, Flack happened."

"I thought Don was off. Isn't Hansen comin' back this afternoon?"

"She was supposed to be. But the Miami airport's been closed. Hurricane Ethan."

"You serious? She's trapped down there?"

Lindsay nodded. "At least until tomorrow."

"Damn. Should we be worried?"

"Only about anyone that gets in front of Flack. He'd arranged for Mr. and Mrs. Hansen to take Katie last night until later this afternoon, and then took the night shift so he'd be off upon her return. But when her flight got cancelled, he decided going' home to an empty house would make it worse, so he decided to pull a double. Lambert was the first to get the brunt of his frustration," she explained.

"Poor guy."

"Well, he kind of deserved a dressing down for the way he secured the crime scene, but Flack _was _pretty hard on him."

"Oh, no, I meant Don."

Lindsay laughed softly. "Yeah, well, he's not the only one sorry Noelle's stuck in Florida. I mean, yes, I miss my best friend and I'm glad her tour's over. But now we've got to work with him for the rest of shift. Danny, I've seen him pissed off before, but this is taking it to some other level." She shook her head. "I guess it's sweet. Or maybe sad."

Danny chuckled. "C'mon, sweetheart, cut the guy some slack. You remember when you went back to Montana to testify? I worked myself so hard I started seein' ya in the hallway. It ain't wrong to miss your girl."

She blushed a little.

"You see the paper this morning? Hansen's book made it onto the bestseller's list. It's number thirty-two."

"I know. And Don said she found out there's going to be a review in next week's _People_."

"Not too shabby. She can get the drinks next time we go to Sullivan's."

Lindsay sighed. "Which will be when exactly? Do you even remember when we last had a night out?"

"That a hint, Montana? I owe you a date or somethin'?"

"Or something. C'mon. Let's get to work so we can get out of here. I really don't want to be here any longer than we have to. Don's probably going to be done canvassing soon and I'm not sure I can take another dose of his Irish temper – even when it's not aimed at me."

"All right. All right. But seriously, do we gotta worry about Hansen being stuck there during a hurricane?"

"I'm trying not to think about it."

"In other words, you're worried."

"Don said her hotel's not right on the beach. And he was more pissed off she wasn't here than worried she was there, so I'm going to go with that."

Danny nodded. "Okay. Where do ya want me then?"

She nodded towards the living room. "Signs of a struggle in there. You want to start processing in there while I finish up out here?"

"You got it, babe."

* * *

Noelle was absolutely miserable. As if spending the past two days in Miami in the middle of a heat wave was not bad enough, she was now stuck there until at least the next afternoon thanks to an act of God. To top it all off, she had headed to the hotel restaurant for breakfast with little appetite, then returned confident that she was coming down with something. She had spent the next few hours vacillating between turning the thermostat down as low as it could go when she felt hot, then cranking the heat back up when she started getting the chills. She was burning up, and having a fever when it was a hundred and ten degrees outside – not to mention when she was a thirteen hundred miles from home – was her definition of a private hell.

She had finally decided that a cool shower might help, but when she emerged afterwards, she was shivering and her legs felt like jelly. She wrapped herself in the hotel-issued fluffy white robe and curled up on the bed. And when her cell phone rang five minutes later, she snatched it off the nightstand and answered it without glancing at the call display, not because she was anxious to talk to anyone but because the ring tone seemed to pierce through to her brain. "Hello?"

"Noelle, it's Stella. I heard about your flight. Are you okay?"

"I'm dying," Noli croaked out.

"What? Oh, my God, what's wrong?"

"I have the flu. Who gets the flu in June? In Miami? I want to come home. Stupid hurricane," she muttered. "It's not even hurricane season yet!"

Stella fought back a chuckled at her friend's dramatic refrain. "Actually, kiddo, it is. But that's beside the point. Is there anything I can do?" she offered.

"Thanks, Stell, but I'm pretty sure you can't stop a hurricane. Oh, God, I want to come home. I miss Donnie and my kids."

"I don't know if it will make you feel any better, but Flack's miserable, too. He's chewed out three people that I know of so far today."

Noelle suppressed a giggle. "He's being a bear, huh? That kind of does make me feel better."

"Well, not that it hasn't been kind of fun watching the NYPD's most arrogant homicide detective play Mr. Mom to a teenager and a toddler, I think I speak for the entire city of New York when I say it's a good thing your tour's over and you'll be home soon. That man does not do well without you anymore."

"It's mutual," Noli sighed.

Stella was quiet for a moment, before she admitted, "I get it."

Noelle smiled to herself at her friend's almost reluctant confession. "Is living together all you thought it would be?"

"You know, before Mac, I always had this rule: no men at my place. When we moved in together, it was really strange not having some place that was mine to escape to and I thought it would bother me. But I never feel like I want to escape. I don't know why it took us so long to get here. It just feels like wasted time."

"Just appreciate every moment you have, Stell. That's what I've learned from being married to a cop." She sneezed then, grabbing her head at the pounding that ensued from the simple act. "Ow."

"Oh, honey. What can I do to help? Why don't we send a car? Is the weather too bad to drive?"

"It's getting pretty bad," Noelle sadly confessed. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I just want to curl up under the covers and sleep. They expect the storm to have gone through by morning, so as soon as the airport re-opens, I'll be on the first flight home."

"Okay. Well, if you change your mind, don't hesitate to call. I don't know if you've noticed, but Mac has a big soft spot for you guys. He's not above calling in favours to make things happen."

"You guys really are the best. Thank you. There is one thing you can do, though," Noelle requested.

"Anything, kiddo."

"Tell Don to stop yelling."

Stella laughed. "I can try. But I have a feeling that the best any of us can do is _avoid_ that man until you find your way home. Take care of yourself, all right? Call if you need anything."

"I will. I'll talk to you later. Bye." Noelle disconnected the call and slowly set her phone down on the bedside table, curling up on the bed. She remembered back to the days as a child when she was sick and all she wanted was her mother's arms around her. Now she would have given just about anything to feel Don's strong arms enclosed around her body. And with that thought in her mind, she drifted off.

* * *

"What was that all about?"

Stella glanced up to find Mac standing in the doorway to her office. She smiled at his appearance. "_That_ was Noelle. She is stuck waiting out the hurricane in Miami, and has the flu to boot. She is absolutely miserable. Though not quite as miserable at Flack. If I don't see him again today, I will be very happy," she explained.

"I heard he yelled at Adam for not having some results ready. I thought that seemed a little out of character. Now it's making a whole lot more sense," Mac replied, walking inside and over to his girlfriend's desk, taking a seat on its edge. "If I had told that rookie homicide detective years ago that he would be losing his mind one day over a woman, he probably would have taken out his service weapon and threatened to shoot me for saying such a thing."

Stella's eyes twinkled as at the thought. "Very true."

"So, I finished my paperwork, things are quiet…How close are you to being ready to head home?"

"I'm actually waiting for Sid to call with some autopsy findings. But he shouldn't be too much longer."

"I was thinking we could try that new Mediterranean place down the street from the apartment," Mac suggested.

"That sounds like heaven. Then maybe a night in? Just you, me, a bottle of wine…"

"You read my mind, Ms Bonasera." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll run down to the precinct and see if I can get Don to go home before he alienates the entire department. Call me when you're ready to go."

"I will. And good luck. You're going to need it."

Mac reluctantly left Stella's office, and went to catch the elevator. Riding down the thirty-five floors of 1PP, he fought the urge to _whistle_. That was how happy he was. It had been almost a year since he and Stella and finally found their way to each other. Of course, they had taken things slow. Dinners, checking out a new play together, an exhibit at a museum. It had taken almost a month of unofficial dates before Mac worked up the nerve to cross the line and risk their friendship to even kiss her. But once that had happened, it was like a dam had broken. Hiding their relationship for the five months after that had been kind of fun, but it had been difficult working together and pretending that nothing was different. Having Katie out them had been a blessing. But they were still discrete. Their relationship was no longer a secret, but they did not flaunt it within the walls of the Crime Lab either. In fact, despite sharing an address, Mac was sure there were people in the department that would be surprised to know they were together. That had been the Chief of D's demand.

Stepping off the elevator and escaping his own musings, Mac headed towards the pit. He was not even in sight of Don when he heard his favourite homicide detective roar "Is it impossible to expect things to be done right around here?"

Mac walked into the bullpen and found Flack standing by his desk, glowering and shaking his head in disgust, while the few other detectives milling around just tried to ignore him. "Don, go home," Taylor suggested as he neared.

"What do you want, Mac?" Don barked in response.

Mac raised his eyebrows. "You want me to find Hill so he can make it official? C'mon. You're pissing everyone off. Go home. Call your wife. She's stuck in the middle of a storm with the flu. She'd probably like to hear your voice right about now."

"What? Noli's sick? She didn't tell me she was sick."

"I don't know all the details. Stella was just talking to her on the phone. Said she had the flu."

Don slumped down in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, God, Mac, what if she's really sick? She's in the middle of a freakin' hurricane!"

Trying to stifle an amused chuckle, the CSI sat down in the visitor's chair. "Noelle's strong and healthy. A flu bug won't do anymore than make her feel pretty miserable for a day or two."

"_I'm_ miserable. I miss my wife."

"I never would have guessed."

A small smile tugged at Don's lips at the good-natured ribbing. "I'll be lucky if Hill doesn't write me up." He sighed then. "She was supposed to be home today. I'm tellin' ya, Mac, it's been a long month. And I don't care if it makes me a possessive ass, but she ain't ever leavin' me like this again."

This time Mac could not suppress a laugh.

"Go ahead. Laugh it up. We'll see how you do when Stella goes to that conference in Boston next month and you're left on your own." He shook his head. "How the hell did this happen?"

"What's that?"

"_This_? _Me,_ gettin' all torn up over a woman. She doesn't even take up that much space, but when she's gone, everything's just empty without her." Seeing a serious, somewhat wistful expression cross his friend's face, Don instantly felt guilty. "Jesus, Mac. I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"

"No, no, it's fine. You know, it was seeing what you and Noelle have that made me take a chance at putting my heart on the line again and try things with Stella. Claire will always hold a piece of my heart, and I will always miss her and mourn her in some way. But I can't be sorry about having this chance with Stella now. But I know what it's like to miss the woman you love. And you want to know how this happened? You were smart enough to grab onto something great when it walked into your life."

Flack nodded. "And now I got two great kids, too. Although I have learned over the past few weeks that I am apparently _not_ their favourite."

Mac smirked. "That's just because we always want what we can't have. Once Noelle's back home and the novelty has worn off, you'll once again be the guy who hung the moon in Katie's eyes."

"And Tony will still be grumbling about the fact that he's not gettin' a car for his birthday. I can't believe my son's gonna be sixteen in a couple months. I am _not_ ready for that. Mac, I remember bein' sixteen. And you and I both know that cops' kids are always the worst, you know that. Testing limits, rebelling. And there's stuff out there that wasn't around when we were kids. You got any contacts at a military school?"

"I don't think you have to worry. Tony's seen enough out there to know what he doesn't want to get mixed up in. If asking for a car is the worst thing he does…"

"True that. Man, how did I go from bachelor to father of a sixteen and a three year old in barely two years?"

Mac laughed as he stood up. He clapped Don on the shoulder. "God has a sense of humour. Go home. Give my little junior CSI a kiss and tell her that as soon as HR budges on the minimum age requirement, I'm officially hiring her."

Don stood up, pulling his suit jacket off the back of his chair and sliding it on. "Katie's gonna be heartbroken when I show up at Jack and Sarah's without Noli."

"It will just make the reunion sweeter tomorrow."

"Says the man who doesn't have to put a screaming three year old to bed tonight."

* * *

It was a struggle, but Noelle finally managed to open her eyes. Her head was still throbbing and she was sweating from being bundled up for the past few hours as she slept. She threw the covers off of her and opened her robe. A beep then worked its way into her consciousness and she realized her cell phone was telling her she had a message. She reached over and picked it up, glancing at the call display. Three missed calls, two new voicemails. She dialed into the message centre and hit one to retrieve the first new voice mail.

"Hey, Nol, it's Lindsay. I was just talking to Stella and she told me you're sick. Call me if there's absolutely anything Danny or I can do for you, okay? And I miss you. Not just because your husband's driving everyone crazy, but because I miss having my best friend nearby. I love you. Have a safe trip home tomorrow and I'll see ya soon. Bye!"

Noelle smiled at her best friend's message. She missed her, too. She missed everything about New York. Her friends, her family. Donnie. As if knowing he was exactly what she needed as the wind howled outside and the rain hit the windows, his voice came onto the line as the second voice mail started: "Hey, babe. Hopefully you not pickin' up means you're sleeping. Mac told me that Stella told him you got the flu. Why didn't you say anything this morning? Or did it just hit you? Whatever, I wish I was there – or you were here – so I could take care a' you. You got any idea how much I miss you? It's so bad that it's about to ruin all my street cred with the perps out there. I love you, doll. And as soon as the airport opens, I'll be the guy at this end with the goofy grin on his face, waitin' to take ya home. But call me as soon as you wake up, just so I can hear your voice and know you're okay. All right? Okay, I love ya. Talk to ya later. Bye, babe. Oh, and no matter what Bonasera mighta told ya, I _did not_ make Scagnetti cry."

Noelle chuckled at the last line, then found herself sighing heavily. Tomorrow could not come fast enough.


	145. Initiative

****

A/N

So this chapter completely got away from me. Hopefully it doesn't come off as if Katie wrote it LOL A little Flack family fluff and fun. Of course, you never know what kind of drama is waiting in the wings...

* * *

Everything hurt. In fact, Noelle hurt in places she did not even know were capable of hurting. She had never had the flu this bad in her entire life. Not even she was in the fourth grade and she was forced to miss her school trip to the Natural History Museum. The only silver lining was the fact that she was finally back on New York soil after landing late the night before, and she had spent the past twelve hours curled up in her own bed.

After picking her up from the airport alone due to the late hour, Don had spent the night waking her every four hours to feed her acetaminophen in an attempt to keep the fever that kept raging down. She didn't know, but he had spent most of the time in between watching her sleep, getting very little of it himself. He hated seeing her sick – it brought back memories that were all too fresh of the nights she had spent awake with excruciating pain ravaging her body before she had her surgery. He knew that now she just had the flu, but he was a little hypersensitive after her being gone so much the past month. He hated to admit how ill-tempered he had been on the job after finding out she was going to be stranded in Miami for an extra day. In fact, he had a feeling it was going to take him a while to live that down. At least Mac had stepped in before he could alienate the entire department or get some kind of official reprimand.

Figuring the best thing for Noelle was rest, he had shushed an anxious Katie when she tried to get into the room at first light to welcome her mommy home, explaining that Noli was sick and needed to sleep. The beleaguered three year old had pouted and stalked off with Rocco at her heels, and – in some kind of first – had been silent now for hours. He knew he was going to have to work hard to cheer up his little girl. However, before he could worry about that, he heated up some soup and took a piping hot mug up to his wife just before one p.m.

As he walked into the master bedroom, Flack found his wife rousing. "Hey, babe. I brought you some minestrone."

Noli scrunched up her nose as she sat up in bed, running a hand through her mussed auburn waves. "No, thanks."

"C'mon, Nol, you gotta eat something. I mean, when was the last time you put anything other than Tylenol in your stomach?"

"I don't remember," she admitted quietly.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and set the mug of soup on the bedside table before laying a hand over her forehead. "Feels like your fever's down."

She glowered at him then. "In the two years I've known you, you've never even had more than a hangover. I hate you."

He chuckled. "You love me. You're just mad 'cause you've been in this bed half a day already and haven't had your wicked way with me yet."

"Shut up."

He flashed his dimpled grin. "I ever tell ya how hot you are when you're all ticked?" When she just rolled her eyes in response, he leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, his expression sobering. "C'mon, babe, you gotta remember that you had surgery just a few months ago and ended up with a long recovery. Your immune system was already compromised, then you went and spent three weeks on planes and in airports, flying all over the country on a schedule some sadist put together. It was only a matter of time before your body decided to rebel."

"Thank you, Dr. Flack, for that stunning analysis. Can you just shoot me now?" she pleaded.

"Not a chance, sweetheart. The last few weeks just proved to me that I can't live without you."

She cracked a small smile. "I already knew that," she teased him. She sighed then. "This is so not what I had in mind when I got home."

"I know. And trust me, you're not the only one who's disappointed. So, why don't you eat your soup then get some more rest, okay? I'll go see if I can cheer Katie up a bit."

"I'll eat this soup on one condition. Why don't you grab our little genius and one of her books and I'll read to her?"

"You sure? 'Cause I've been dealing with a grumpy three year old for weeks. I can handle another afternoon."

"It's okay, Donnie. I miss my baby. And you and I both know that she's already been exposed to this bug thanks to you running in and out of here all morning," Noelle pointed out.

"Maybe not. We should've bought stock in that antiseptic crap for the amount of it I've used since you got home," he quipped. "You sure you're up to this?"

She nodded.

"All right, babe. I'll be right back."

While Don went to get their daughter, Noelle slid out of bed and headed into the en suite. She looked in the mirror and cringed. She really needed a shower and a few more hours of sleep. But she settled for splashing some cold water on her face and running a brush through her hair before tying it back in a ponytail.

Meanwhile, Flack headed downstairs to find Katie. He stopped as he hit the bottom stair and heard her voice wafting from the living room. He glanced into the room and suppressed a chuckle at the sight of his little girl looking pointedly at her dog.

"You're the bestest fwiend, Wocco. I wanna give you a pwesent 'cause you always pway with me. I get you some doggie cookies fwom the fwidge, 'k? And how 'bout we got outsi' and pway on the swing now?" She jumped up from her spot on the floor where she had been kneeling at her play table and took Rocco's collar.

Don stepped into the doorway, cutting her off at the pass before she could escape. "And just where do you think you're going, cutie?"

Her brow furrowed at getting caught.

"You know the rules. You're not allowed to go outside without me, your mommy or Tony."

"Tony at school," she said with a pout.

"Mommy and me are here."

"Bu' you not like me anymore."

Don felt his stomach knot at the expression on her face and the earnestness of her tone. He crouched down in front of his little girl, brushing her chestnut curls off her face before tapping her nose gently. "_You_ are my favourite Katie in the whole wide world. You know that, right? And I'd say I'm the luckiest daddy ever 'cause you're _my_ baby girl. So what makes you think I don't like you anymore?"

"You get mad when I say I go see Mommy."

"Aw, cutie, I just wanted your ma to get some sleep so she could feel better. She came home from her trip really, really sick. But I wasn't mad at you, Katie-bear. I promise. And I'm really sorry if I made you think I was."

Her bottom lip quivered.

"C'mere, sweetheart." He knelt down and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back, trying the quell the tears he could see were threatening to fall. "I love you, cutie. I know the last few weeks have been really tough without us havin' your ma here, and then she finally comes home and you don't get to see her 'cause she's sick." He pulled back just enough to look at her. "But guess what? She's awake and you are the first person she was askin' for. She wants you to come read a story with her 'cause she missed you so much."

"Weally? I go see Mommy _now_?"

He nodded with a smile at the twinkle that had returned to her eyes. "You got it. So we should pick a really good book to read with her. What story do you want to take?"

"We wead the book Uncle Shel'on give me?"

Flack quirked an eyebrow. The book Hawkes had given her had a tagline that suggested it was a fun introduction to quantum physics for children. Don was pretty sure it was damn near impossible for quantum physics and fun to ever be used in the same sentence. "How 'bout we grab some Dr. Seuss, cutie? A little _Horton Hears a Who?_"

"But we not wead Uncle Shelly's book yet!"

"I'm thinkin' that maybe you should save it and read it _with_ your Uncle Sheldon next time you're at the Lab or he comes and visits. How's that sound?"

"Why?"

"Because," he smirked. He was pretty sure there was a handbook somewhere that said that was a sufficient answer to any question a kid might ask.

Katie eyed him carefully, then finally just shrugged. "'k, Daddy. I love you." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before running past him and heading up the stairs, anxious to see her mommy.

Don shook his head with a chuckle. He went to follow his daughter upstairs, but was stopped by the ringing of the telephone. He headed back into the living room and picked up the cordless handset from the coffee table, smiling when he saw his son's cell phone number on the call display. "Antonio."

"Hey, Dad. How's Ma feeling?"

"Better. Nothin' some more rest in her own bed won't fix. What's up?"

"Is it okay if I don't come straight home from school? I got something I need to do. I'll explain later, I promise."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "Is this legal?" he questioned his son jokingly.

"Dad!"

He chuckled. "Just checking. Sure, kid. We'll keep dinner until you get home."

"Okay. I'll see ya in a few hours. Bye!"

Don hung up the phone with a smile. While he knew Noli might be disappointed that their son was not coming straight home from school, he certainly sounded excited about something. He wondered if his mysterious errand had something to do with Candice; but then, he probably would have told him what it was. His curiosity piqued, he headed up stairs to join his wife and daughter.

* * *

Tony bounced a little on the balls of his heels as he rode up in the elevator. He was excited, and a little nervous. He had two favours to ask once he reached his destination, the second completely dependent on an affirmative for the first. He was pretty confident, though, and he knew that his parents would be proud of his initiative. He grinned then at the thought of making his mom and dad proud.

As the elevator doors opened, Tony stepped out into the glass-lined hallways, trying to remember the directions he had been given down in the lobby. He had been here before, but never by himself, and he completely blanked. He furrowed his brow and took a few steps down the corridor to his right.

"Tony! What are you doing here, son?"

Tony bit his lip as Mac stepped out of his office. "Uh, hi, Detective Taylor."

"Please, it's Mac. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah. Fine. I'm here to see Danny. I just got a bit turned around."

"I'll take you. He's just down the other way." As the two started walking in the other direction, Mac appraised the teen. "You sure everything's okay?"

Tony glanced up at him in consideration. Suddenly, he realized that _Mac_ was the perfect person to ask. He was the top guy at the Crime Lab after all. "Uh, well, see, I was thinking about applying for this job. There's this diner just a few blocks from home, so Mom and Dad wouldn't have to drive me or anything. But on the application, it asks for references."

Mac nodded. "I see."

The teenager looked away and swallowed hard, working up the courage. Finally he looked back at Mac and asked, "Would you, uh – I mean, would you consider being one of my references?"

Mac fought back a chuckle at the near _fear_ in the teenager's eyes at asking him for the favour. He was actually proud of the boy's enterprise and knew Don and Noelle would be, as well. "I would be happy to, Tony. Of course, put my name down."

Tony's eyes widened. "Really?"

"No problem. Ah, and here we are." He rapped on the door frame of Danny and Lindsay's office, pulling Messer from the paperwork he was trying to finish before his shift ended. "And if Danny says 'no', let me know and I'm sure Stella would in a heartbeat."

"Thanks, Detective – Uh, Mac."

Mac nodded with a smile, waved at Danny, then turned and headed back to his office.

"Hey, buddy. I was surprised when you called. Everything okay?" Danny asked, waving Tony into the office he shared with Lindsay.

Tony walked inside a little less nervous than he would have had he not received an affirmative answer from Mac first. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just have a favour."

"Okay, well, what is it I'm obviously about to agree to?"

"Well, see the thing is, I want to get a job. And I was lookin' at the application, and it says I need references. Mac said he'd be one, but there's two spots on the form," he explained as he set his backpack down.

Danny smiled at the kid's initiative. "Yeah, of course, man. But a couple things first. Your folks know about this?"

"Not yet, but I'm gonna get their permission. Don't worry."

"Okay, good. And second, where's this job?"

"There's a diner just a couple blocks from home. It's just like for a busboy and wait staff, that kind of thing. But, you know…"

"Well, you got yourself another reference. But I gotta check the place out first," Danny added as a condition.

Tony furrowed his brow.

"What? You think your old man won't if I don't do it first? I just wanna make sure the future salvation of the New York Mets is workin' at a reputable establishment."

"I'm putting down two NYPD detectives as references. I won't get the job in the first place if they're some kind of front for the mob or anything," Tony pointed out with a hint of a smirk.

"Wise ass. I still want the name and address. I'll have it checked out by the time your folks give you the okay." He raised his eyebrows, letting the teenager know this was non-negotiable.

Tony sighed. "Okay, okay. Thanks, Danny."

"No problem, kid. So, let me guess, you need some extra cash for the girlfriend?"

The boy shrugged. "Yeah, there's that."

"Something else?"

Tony hesitated for a moment. "That's kind of the other reason I'm here. I heard on the radio that Bon Jovi's playing the New Meadowlands Stadium in Jersey."

"Yeah, I heard that, too. You want to take Candice?"

Tony shook his head. "No, I, uh – I wanted to get tickets for Mom and Dad. They're Ma's favourite band and she's never seen 'em live. And I – " He shrugged a little sheepishly. "I just want to do something nice for them, you know, to say thanks and everything."

Danny smiled. "That's a nice thought, man. But I'm pretty sure your folks wouldn't want you spending that kind of dough on 'em."

"I want to. And I know they would never do it for themselves. Look, I already got enough saved up for one ticket, and if I get this job…But I don't have a credit card. I was hoping you could buy the tickets for me and I'll pay you back as soon as I get the money?"

Messer crossed his arms over his chest in contemplation. He appreciated where the kid was coming from and knew he was probably going to have a tough time talking him out of it. And Lindsay had been dropping hints about them not having a night out recently. The concert would be the perfect double date for the four friends considering Bon Jovi was one of the few bands he and his wife both loved, _and_ he could help Tony out in the process. "Yeah, I'll get the tickets. But tell ya what: you just pay for the one you got the money for. You spend whatever you make once you get this job on your girl and start puttin' some away for that car you want. We got a deal?"

"But I can't ask –"

"You didn't. I offered." He looked at the teenage boy in front of him seriously. "Listen, Antonio, I appreciate what you wanna do for your parents. But you know you don't gotta do anything to thank them, right? I mean, I'm no expert on this parenting thing, but I've figured this much out in the past two years: you don't owe 'em anything because they love you and take care a' you. That's just what good parents do. And I do know this: Flack and Hansen, they're real proud of you. And if you want my take, they're real lucky to have you – as lucky as you are to have them."

"Thanks."

"No problem, buddy. Look, I'll find out when the tickets go on sale and see about scorin' some, all right? And you better get home. I'm sure your ma's real anxious to see ya."

"She's gonna tell me I've grown three inches since she left last time," Tony muttered as he picked his backpack up and slung it over his shoulder.

Danny chuckled. "Every time I drop Matt, Liv and Lucy off at my ma's, she tells me I'm too thin. It's what mothers do, kid. Get used to it."

He rolled his eyes. "I guess. Hey, we won the playoff game yesterday. The championship game is next Friday and Coach is starting me!"

"No kiddin'! That's great, buddy. I'm so proud a' you!"

Tony lowered his eyes, blushing a little. He should not have been surprised by the praise, considering that next to his parents, Danny had been his biggest source of encouragement when it came to baseball. But he still was not used to having people around him who believed in him so much or expressed so easily how proud they were of him.

"You said the game's Friday? Linds and I are both off. You mind if we come?"

Tony looked at him a little incredulously. "Really?"

"Of course. That way, when you throw the first perfect game for the Mets I can say I saw you win your first championship as a sophomore. By the way, you're gonna have it written into your contract that I get season's tickets, right?" Messer kidded.

"I'll see what I can do. The game starts at four next week."

"Me and Montana'll be there."

* * *

Noelle stepped out of a long, hot shower, feeling much better after some cuddle time with her little girl and another couple hours of sleep. She dried herself off, then wrapped herself in a towel and walked into the bedroom, seeking something comfortable to wear aside from the pajamas she had spent most of the day in already. She found an old pair of denim shorts, well worn and soft, and then picked up a t-shirt of Don's that hadn't quite made it into the hamper. It smelled of him so she greedily pulled it on over her head and just took in his scent. Never again would she go for days without being able to touch him. As far as she was concerned, the man was a habit she had no desire to kick.

She wandered downstairs. There was no sign of either Don or Katie, but then she faintly heard a happy squeal coming from the backyard. She headed into the kitchen and stood on her tip toes to glance out the window over the sink, a smile crossing her face as she laid eyes on her husband pushing their little girl on one of the swings, Rocco running circles around them. Don was in a pair of jeans and just a wife beater, the early June heat obviously getting to him as he appeared to be squinting even behind his sunglasses. She realized she was definitely feeling better – her temperature was rising despite that fact that she had no signs of a lingering fever. She wondered if he would always have this power over her – the ability to turn her into a puddle of mush every time she looked at him. Realizing that dirty thoughts were only going to leave her frustrated for the moment, she laughed then to herself when she noticed that Don had actually gotten their daughter to wear one of her many sun hats – then she wondered how many cookies he'd had to bribe her with.

She walked over to the fridge in hopes of finding a can of ginger ale, her stomach still a tad uneasy, probably mostly now from hunger. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the refrigerator was stocked, and that there was even some chicken marinating for dinner. Don was definitely getting lucky later.

Noelle escaped her musings at the sound of the front door. She excitedly shut the refrigerator door and headed out into the foyer to greet her son. "Tony! Oh, I missed you, honey."

"Hey, Ma. Feeling better?"

She nodded, looking him over.

"I haven't grown," he assured her before she could say anything.

She laughed softly. "No, you just got more handsome."

He rolled his eyes. "Mom…"

"I know, I know. C'mon in. Tell me about school. Don told me about your win yesterday."

"Yeah, and you can come to the game next week, right? It's the championship and Coach is starting me."

She beamed proudly. Although Don had already told her the news, hearing it from Tony and seeing the excitement on his face just made it that more sweet. "I wouldn't miss it, sweetheart. So where have you been? Your dad said something about some mysterious errand?"

"Uh, yeah. There's somethin' I wanna ask you guys about," he explained, fidgeting a little.

"Sure. He's out back with your sister."

"Actually, we're right here," Don replied, walking in through the kitchen with Katie up on his shoulders. "Hey, champ."

"Tony!" Katie greeted excitedly. "Daddy push me on the swing! And Mommy wead me Horton!"

"That's cool, Katie-bear," Tony replied, always amused by the little girl's enthusiasm about the smallest things. "I gotta talk to Mom and Dad about something. That okay?"

"'k. Then we pway baseball!"

"Sure, munchkin. We'll go out and play ball 'til dinner. You can help me work on my slider for the game next week."

Her eyes widened. "I help! And Wocco, too!"

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, he'll be a big help."

"C'mon, let's go sit down and you can tell us what's on your mind," Flack suggested, noticing his wife looking a little weary still, though she definitely looked much better than when he had picked her up at the airport the night before. He eased Katie down off his shoulders and she and Rocco ran over to her play table.

Don and Noelle sat down on the couch while Tony took a seat on the armchair, rubbing his hands up and down his legs a little nervously. Mac and Danny had seen nothing wrong with him getting a part-time job, so he figured his parents would not have a problem with it. But then again, his parents were a little on the overprotective side. Especially his father.

"What's up, buddy?" Don asked, as curious as his wife about the mysterious reason he had been late.

"You know that diner over on Alder Street?" Tony asked.

Don nodded. "Yeah, sure. Mel's, right? There's always a line out the door on the weekends when I'm out running."

"Yeah, well, they had this help wanted sign in the window. I checked it out, and it's just part-time, bus boy, wait staff, that kind of thing. And I was thinkin' that it would be a good summer job," he explained.

Flack was unsuccessful in holding back a proud smile. Noelle, on the other hand, furrowed her brow. "You want to get a job?" she asked.

Tony shrugged. "It's just part-time, Mom."

"I think it's a great idea, kid. But I'll want to check the place out first," Don said.

Tony shook his head with a smirk. "Danny said you'd say that. He's already on it. I asked him and Detective Taylor if they would be references. They said okay so long as I got your permission first."

"You're only fifteen," Noli muttered.

"I'm gonna be sixteen in less than two months," he argued.

"Noli, he'll be fine. It'll give him something to do over the summer," Don pointed out.

"What about our trip?"

"I'll make sure I can get the time off, Mom. Don't worry. It'll be good. I'll be able to put some money away for school."

Don smirked, knowing a car was more what he had in mind. "I'm all for it, Antonio."

Tony looked at Noelle. "Ma?"

She nodded slowly. "Your father's right. You know me, I'm just –"

"Overprotective?" he filled in the blank with a grin.

Noli rolled her eyes, but could not deny the truth. "Keep in mind, I wasn't planning on having a fifteen year old for, well, close to another fifteen years. We're kind of flying blind here. I'm not ready for my son to be talking about cars and saving for college and getting summer jobs…"

Don chuckled at that. He had been telling Mac the exact same thing just a couple days ago. But he also knew that his kid had a good head on his shoulders. He had been forced to grow up pretty fast, and not only was he wise beyond his years, but he also had street smarts. A summer job would teach him some responsibility, and it would also fill his time and keep him from finding any trouble. Cop kids were notorious for rebelling against authority, and anything that could discourage Tony from following that path was going to get Don's support.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've apparently got the hottest mom in school," Tony assured her.

Noli blushed.

"That doesn't make _me_ feel better. Who's sayin' that?" Don asked with a furrowed brow.

Hours later, with the kids both in bed, Flack walked out of the en suite, ready for bed, and slid in under the covers behind his wife. He pulled her back against him and kissed her temple. "How're you feelin', doll?"

"Old."

He scoffed. "You realize that if you'd actually given birth to Tony, you woulda been about the age Oksana was when Katie was born?"

"I guess. And I'll always be younger than _you_," she teased him.

"Less than two years, doll."

"Still younger. Even when you're a hundred. _And_ apparently Tony's got the hottest mom in school."

"I'd rather not think about a bunch of high school boys fantasizing about my wife. Makes me want to push through some new laws into the criminal code so I can arrest the horndogs."

Noelle turned over and looked at him with a smile. "You're really hot when you're jealous."

"I'm _not_ jealous of a bunch of high school boys. Besides, I've got one thing those _kids_ will never have."

"What's that?"

"You in my bed. And by the way, I'm never lettin' you leave town without me again."

She moved closer, sliding her hands up his chest. She leaned her forehead against his. "That's fine with me."

He drew her even closer and captured her lips in a long, languid kiss.

"I'm going to get you sick…"

"I'll take my chances. I'm not lettin' you go another hour without havin' your wicked way with me. Welcome home, Mrs. Flack."


	146. Take Me Out to the Ballgame

**A/N **A special thank you to iheartcsinewyork and mabelreid for reviewing the last chapter. As per your requests, some more Flack Family Fluff! And to all of you who continue to read…THANKS for letting me continue to indulge myself! xoxoxo mustlovecat

* * *

Don stared down at the woman lying beside him. Her eyes were shut, but he could tell from her breathing that she was not asleep. Tired, yes. _Spent_, a more accurate description. Katie was napping down the hall, Tony was at school, and Don would not even try to deny that he had taken complete advantage. Without much resistance, he led his wife to their bedroom and done things to her he hoped would convince her that she should never leave town again without him. Now she was lying with her back pressed against his chest, her soft, pale skin slightly flushed, and a light sheen of sweat dotting her forehead and covering the freckles on her cheeks. And she completely took his breath away. Looking at her, the conversation he'd had with Mac just over a week ago came back to him in a rush…

"_How the hell did this happen?"_

"_What's that?"_

"_This? Me, gettin' all torn up over a woman. She doesn't even take up that much space, but when she's gone, everything's just empty without her." Seeing a serious, somewhat wistful expression cross his friend's face, Don instantly felt guilty. "Jesus, Mac. I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"_

"_No, no, it's fine. You know, it was seeing what you and Noelle have that made me take a chance at putting my heart on the line again and try things with Stella. Claire will always hold a piece of my heart, and I will always miss her and mourn her in some way. But I can't be sorry about having this chance with Stella now. But I know what it's like to miss the woman you love. And you want to know how this happened? You were smart enough to grab onto something great when it walked into your life."_

How he had been smart enough to recognize how great she was went beyond him, but he was glad and had been forever changed nonetheless. Sure, there had been other women before her. But he had never felt compelled to hold on before Noelle walked into his life. With her, it _was_ a compulsion. And now, he got it. Why people settled down, had kids. He got now what it was all about. It was about Dr. Seuss books and high school baseball games and making love with your wife in the middle of the afternoon when the rare opportunity presented itself. And now his life was divided into Before Noelle and After Noelle. And everything that fell into the Before was simply part of the journey to reaching the After. A wife, a home with two great kids. All the things he never knew he wanted, but now would not hesitate to draw his gun or give his last breath to protect.

Don was pulled from his thoughts as Noelle rolled over and stretched, refusing to open her eyes and let the moment pass and reality seep in. However, even with her eyes closed, she could tell Don was watching her. It unnerved her a little. "That's creepy, you know," she teased him, finally opening one eye, then the other, both locking onto the darkened grey-blue eyes of her husband. She resisted the urge to lower her gaze south, over his incredibly strong chest and…

"Nah, it's romantic," he argued, interrupting her own musings.

"Staring at me? You don't have better things to do?"

"No, can't say as I do. I could stare at you for hours," he said as he slid a hand down her side and over her hip. "And we still got a couple. The game doesn't start 'til four, Katie's still asleep…"

"Did you slip something into her grilled cheese sandwich?" Noli joked. "She hasn't willingly gone down for an afternoon nap in ages."

"Yeah, that's right. I drugged out our little girl so you and me could have sex," he chuckled. "Seriously, all I did was try and wear her out during our trip to the park _hoping_ she'd go down for a couple hours. Can I help it if I actually succeeded?"

Noelle grinned. "A man who knows what he wants."

"A man whose wife was gone way too long," he replied, brushing her hair off her shoulder and nuzzling her neck.

She sighed at the feel of his lips against her skin. "I've been back a week," she managed to squeak out.

"I'm just makin' sure you never leave again."

"By marking me?" she complained then.

"Just makin' sure all those horndogs at the game that think you're hot know you're mine," he said, his lips nipping at her neck, his tongue following to soothe her skin.

"If you seriously leave a mark and my parents – or worse, _Danny,_ comments on it…"

"If Messer's searchin' you for hickeys, he and I are gonna have words."

Noelle rolled her eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him from marking up her neck, dragging his face to meet hers. She kissed him languidly, thoroughly enough to make him moan. Then while his mind was reeling, she slid her mouth down his neck, and in the most obvious spot possible, she sucked on his skin.

"Damn it, Noelle!" he swore once he got his wits about him, pulling away.

She laughed. "What?"

"_That's_ gonna leave a mark!"

She quirked an eyebrow. "So what, it's okay for you mark me up but I can't do the same?"

"I'm a cop; I'll lose all credibility in an interrogation room if I'm covered in love bites."

"_One_ love bite," she corrected him. "And I'm pretty sure any creep you're interrogating is gonna have a lot more important things to worry about than a bruise on your neck. A bruise that could have gotten there any number of ways. Only you and I know how it really got there." She met his lips again, quelling his annoyance and moaning herself this time as his tongue searched her mouth. "Oh, God…"

"You like that? You want me to make your toes curl again?"

"Don't tease me…"

He easily rolled her underneath him. "I got no intention of teasing you, doll. I'm nothin' if not dedicated to the follow-through. I'm gonna –"

"DADDY!"

Both jumped slightly at the scream. "Damn it," Don sighed, hopping out of bed at lightning speed at the sound of his daughter's cry. He grabbed his boxers and pulled them on, muttering, "Apparently, what I'm actually gonna do is go save our baby girl from the monster under her bed." As he then pulled on his jeans, he glanced over at his wife, her naked frame only half-covered by the sheets. He whistled. "Damn."

"DADDY!"

"Just so you know, seeing you go into full-on dragon slayer mode just makes you even sexier. You're definitely going to get the opportunity to follow through later," Noelle assured him as she watched him dress.

He flashed her his dimpled grin as he picked up the t-shirt that had been deposited on the floor earlier and slid it on, then headed out of the bedroom.

By the time Don reached Katie's room, she was sitting up in her bed sobbing. Rocco was sitting beside her, nudging her with his head, but it did not seem to do anything to quash her tears. Don quickly rushed over to her other side and sat down on the edge of the bed, gathering his little girl into his arms. "Hey, hey there, cutie. It's okay. Daddy's here."

"There…a…mon'ter," she sobbed¸ tears clinging to her long eyelashes.

"Cutie, I promise, there's nothing here that can hurt you," he assured her, rocking her against him and making a mental note not to let her watch _Monsters, Inc_. again for a while.

"You pwomise?"

"I promise, baby. And you know I would never break a promise to my favourite Katie-bear, right?"

She nodded, snuggling even closer.

He kissed the top of her head, relieved as he felt her relax against him.

"Everything okay in here?" Noelle asked as she appeared in the doorway, her own jeans and t-shirt pulled back on, her hands busy pulling her tousled waves into a messy bun.

"Daddy say no mon'ters here anymore," Katie replied.

Noelle winked at her husband. "Serve and protect. Your daddy takes his oath very seriously. How 'bout a snack before we head to the school for Tony's game?"

"We have choc'late chip cookies!"

Don chuckled. "Chocolate chip cookies fix everything, don't they, cutie? Though your ma was probably thinking of something more like carrot sticks and string cheese."

"Sure, make me the bad guy," she kidded. "C'mon, sweetie, let's go get some chocolate chip cookies. Then we'll give you a bath."

"But I not dirty!" Katie argued.

"I bet you anything you will be after your snack." She held out her hand for her daughter, who slipped out of her father's arms and jumped down off the bed, running over to her mother with the promise of cookies before her.

* * *

Don had made it to most of Tony's games, and the bleachers had never been as filled as they were today. He was thrilled to see the crowd, but inwardly prayed it did not make his son any more nervous than he already was to be starting in the district championship. He clutched Katie's hand tightly in his own, unable to get the incident with Joseph at the playground out of his mind. However, he relaxed a little when a sweep of the stands revealed that both his parents and Noelle's were already seated up near the top¸ all eager to cheer on the newest Flack. He caught his father's eye, waving and signaling that he and Katie were on their way.

"Hey, CSI Flack!"

Katie turned around and escaped her father's handhold, running over and letting Danny scoop her up in his arms as he and Lindsay reached them. "Uncle Danny!"

"You ready to watch your brother win today?" Danny asked, tickling her sides to elicit a giggle.

"Then we have pizza with pepp'woni!" she announced excitedly.

"Well, you definitely can't celebrate a ballgame without pizza," Messer agreed, kissing her cheek before setting her back down on the ground.

"Where's Noelle?" Lindsay asked.

"Brooke called as we were walking out the door. She should be here in a few minutes. You guys mind watching Katie for a sec? I wanna go talk to Tony."

"Nah, you can't, man!" Danny insisted, looking at his best friend as if he had three heads.

"What? Why not?"

"You ever talked to him in the past before a start?"

"No…"

"Then you can't today. It'll mess with his pre-game ritual and throw him off."

Don furrowed his eyebrows, but he realized Danny probably had a point. "Okay, yeah, I don't wanna throw him off. But listen, there's Sonny's parents. I should go say 'hi'. My folks and Noli's are up there about three rows from the top if you guys wanna go sit down."

"Sure. Katie, you want to come with me and Danny? We'll make sure you can see Tony on the pitcher's mound, okay?" Lindsay suggested.

"'k, Aunt Lindy." The little girl obediently took Lindsay's hand and the three went off to join the Flacks and Hansens in the quickly filling bleachers.

Don walked over and greeted the Logans, talking with them for a couple minutes before they went to return to their own seats. He glanced at his watch then, wondering where his wife was. He looked up into the bleachers, finding his family again and trying to figure out the easiest way to get to them, then he headed off to join them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going…"

* * *

"Uh-oh. Cougar alert," Lindsay said quietly, elbowing her husband.

"What? Where?" Danny asked.

"With Flack. Six o'clock. What the he–" She stopped herself, conscious then of little ears sitting on her husband's lap beside her. "What is he doing? Is he an idiot? Because _she_ couldn't be more obvious."

"Maybe she's lost and needs directions," he kidded.

"More like she's giving him directions to the after party. Danny, if her shirt was cut any lower we could cite her for indecent exposure. Eww. That's just gross, right?" When Danny failed to agree quickly enough, she furrowed her brow and elbowed him. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah. Right. I hear ya, babe." Yet he did immediately peel his eyes off scene below, the busty, dyed-blonde woman obviously flirting with his best friend, her outfit more appropriate for a club in the Meat Packing District than a high school baseball game. She definitely was not there to cheer on the home team – or the away team for that matter. At least Don did not look like he was enjoying himself. In fact, it appeared as if he would like to be anywhere but there and was searching for any possible means of escape.

"_Why_ is he still talking to her?"

"I dunno, but – Ooh, not good. There's Hansen. And she's lookin' a little p-i-s-s-e-d," he replied, shaking his head as he spotted Noelle at the edge of the field where she had just laid eyes her husband.

"Should we do something?"

Danny grinned. "What are we gonna do, Montana? The only thing we _can_ do. Sit here and watch."

* * *

"Honey, there you are! I'm so sorry I'm late," Noelle apologized as she stepped up beside her husband, wrapping her left arm around his waist and curling into his side. She then extended her right hand to the woman who had blatantly been hitting on Don. The only thing that had saved her husband was that she had been able to tell from even a distance that he was disinterested and trying his damnedest to end whatever conversation had been started. "Hi, I'm Noelle Flack, Don's wife. And you are?"

The woman shook Noelle's hand, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Sonya Summers. My son's the starting pitcher for Edison."

"Oh, wow, you must be so proud. I know we are. _Our_ son's starting for Fillmore, though I'm sure Donnie here has already told you that," Noelle bragged unabashedly. "Tony has a perfect record so far this season." She looked up at Don then, gently touching his neck with the tip of her finger. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. You're right, I _did _leave a mark. I just get so carried away sometimes, don't I?"

Don fought hard not to chuckle. Noelle's confidence or possessiveness, whatever you wanted to call it, was sexy as hell. "Katie's with our folks and Dan and Lindsay. We should probably go rescue them."

"Katie's our adorable three year old," Noelle explained to Sonya, who now looked bored. "Anyway, it was very nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice talkin' to you, Ms Summers," Don nodded, looking at his wife as if to ask, _Now can we go?_

"Pleasure was mine, Detective. Good luck this afternoon, Mrs. Flack." With that, Sonya Summers turned and sashayed away, her sights already looking for the next mark.

"Oh, my God," Noelle whispered. "She would have done you right there under the bleachers if you'd let her!"

"_What_?"

She shook her head. "Why doesn't anyone respect the institution of marriage anymore? Did she just completely ignore the fact that you're wearing a wedding ring?"

"Nol, I swear –"

"Don't worry, Donnie, I was watching. I know you weren't encouraging her. It's not your fault you're cougar bait."

"Cougar _what_? What the hell's that mean?"

"It means you're hot. And a few years younger than most of the dads here. So that makes you a target for predators. But while I can understand her choice in prey, you _are_ spoken for, so if she so much as looks your way again..." She laughed then at the somewhat confused look on his face. "C'mon. The game's about to start."

Shaking his head, Don took his wife's hand and led her up into the bleachers where their families, and Danny and Lindsay were all sitting along with Katie. They quickly took their seats just as the line-ups for each team were being introduced. And when they announced the starting pitcher for Fillmore High as Antonio Flack, two very proud parents were cheering louder than the rest of the crowd.

However, as Tony took the mound and started winding up for his first pitch, Noelle turned and buried her face against her husband's shoulder. "I can't watch."

Flack chuckled. "It's a high school baseball game, babe."

His wife pulled back looked at him incredulously. "It's the district championship!"

A smattering of applause passed through the crowd as the first pitch flew into Wyatt Morris' glove and the umpire called a strike.

"I'll lend you some of my blood pressure medication when he makes it to the Majors, chief," Jack ribbed his daughter.

"Uncle Danny? Tony win?" Katie asked hopefully.

"Not yet, sweetie. But there's strike two. Man, I woulda killed for his talent when I was a sophomore," Messer said a little wistfully.

Lindsay slid a hand through her husband's arm and snuggled a little closer to him, the image she had seen in some old photographs of him clad in his uniform going through her mind and making her smile.

Meanwhile, Noelle looked over at Danny and raised her eyebrows. He had commented dozens of times before about Tony's talent, but there was something about the way he said it just now. Knowing that he had been good enough himself to play in to the Minors, and therefore had some authority on the subject, made it that much more of a potent statement. "You're really serious, aren't you? You really think he can make it."

Danny nodded. "Look, Hansen, as much as the two Detective Flacks here are hopin' for a Chief of D's in the family, I've seen ballplayers. And Tony – that kid's got what it takes."

"Maybe we should have enrolled him in some sort of baseball camp instead of agreeing to the job," she wondered.

"Nah, he's got time. You don't want him blowing out his arm. The pick-up games he plays with the guys over the summer will keep him practiced up, and no doubt he'll be a starter on the team next year. Scouts are gonna start takin' notice, but it probably won't be until his senior year that there's any serious consideration. And honestly, I'd say he's better off gettin' a scholarship and playin' some college ball than bein' drafted to the Minors," Danny explained.

The crowd erupted then as Tony threw a third strike and put down the first batter.

As they went into the bottom half of the eighth inning a couple hours later, Fillmore High had a seven-one lead. Tony had only allowed three hits, one being a solo homerun over the right field fence. As he headed back to the bench, Don could tell from his expression that he was upset with himself for allowing the run, even though he had held Edison to a six-run deficit. He kicked at the dirt as he sat down with his team, tossing his glove down beside him.

Don watched as the coach said something to Tony and Tony's self-deprecating expressing softened. "It sucks not bein' able to take credit for any of this whatsoever," he kidded.

Noelle laughed softly. "And you don't even get the title of his biggest fan."

Flack raised his eyebrows. "Just 'cause you're beautiful doesn't mean you get to edge me out there, sweetheart."

"Oh, no, you and I share second place. But I figured if our little girl can sit still through an entire game, she must be pretty smitten with the starting pitcher."

"If I'd known all it took to keep her still for a couple hours was a ballgame…" he chuckled.

"Unfortunately, we can't afford seasons tickets for the Yankees."

"Nah, but the Yankees _are_ playin' the Jays at the Rogers Centre while we're in Toronto. How 'bout I get the four of us tickets?"

"You guys aren't gonna be able to afford those tickets once you pay all the roaming charges on Tony's cell phone. How's he gonna get through ten days without the girlfriend?" Danny joked. "If he's anything like Don here was when _you_ were outta town, Hansen, you guys ain't gonna make it across the border before tossin' him out the car."

Noelle smirked while Don fired off a glare towards his so-called best friend.

"Speaking of Candice, where is she?" asked Jump.

"I saw her earlier. She's sitting with a bunch of their friends down there near the bottom," Noelle replied to her father-in-law.

"Yeah, see the pretty blonde down there watching the game through her fingers? She's worse than Noli," Don pointed out with an amused smile. "Tony must have bribed her with something to come because she's usually too nervous."

"We'll see how calm _you_ are in his first start as a Yankee," Noli needled her husband.

"_Met_," Danny coughed.

Noelle laughed. "Or maybe he'll get drafted by the Jays." She leaned up and kissed Don's cheek.

"You leavin' another mark there, Mrs. Flack?" he teased her then.

"Are you going to complain this time?"

"You kiddin'? I like it when you get all possessive. That was pretty hot what you said earlier."

"You guys about done? You got impressionable ears here," Danny reminded them.

"Babe, I've been living with you how many years now? My ears are no longer impressionable," Lindsay cut in jokingly.

"I was talkin' about my junior lab rat here, smart a—" Messer stopped himself, ruffling Katie's hair.

Fillmore scored twice more in the bottom of the eighth, and with a substantial lead, the coach left Tony in to give him his complete game. Tony gave up a hit to the lead-off batter, but after striking out the second, he threw the third into a double play. The home team fans in the stands went wild, including a couple CSI's, four beaming grandparents, and a very proud mom and dad.

It took Tony a while to climb out from under the mountain of excited teammates, but when he finally escaped, the first person he spotted was his girlfriend. He jogged over to the edge of the field where she was standing and pulled her into a hug.

"I bet he won't let me hug him here," Noelle pouted a little.

Don wrapped his arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head. "When you're fifteen, huggin' your girlfriend's a lot cooler than acknowledging your mom, babe. Don't take it personally."

Tony laid eyes on his folks then, along with Katie, Danny, Lindsay and his grandparents. Don had deliberately not told him that both his parents and Noelle's were planning to come to the game, not wanting his son to get too nervous, so Tony was shocked when he saw all of them standing there. With an arm around Candice, he headed over to them all with an almost sheepish smile.

"Tony! You win!" Katie greeted him excitedly, tugging on his sleeve.

He picked his little sister up. "Yeah, we did, princess. And you guys were all here the whole time?" he asked incredulously, looking at all of the adults gathered.

Tony found himself lowering his eyes at the mountain of praise his grandparents, Danny and Lindsay lavished upon him then. Noelle and Don hung back a little. They knew Tony was well aware of how proud they were of him and were both enjoying watching him revel in the moment. Seeing him completely in his element was enough to put huge grins on both of their faces.

"Wyatt's waving at you, Tony," Candice finally cut in a little reluctantly.

Tony looked up at his parents then. "Yeah, everyone's goin' out. It okay –"

"Of course. Go celebrate with the team. Just call later if you need a ride home," Flack consented.

"Bu' Tony, you have come and we have pepp'woni pizza!" Katie pleaded.

"I promise we'll hang out later, okay, munchkin? But I gotta go do some stuff with the team first," Tony explained.

Katie furrowed her eyebrows, her lower lip slowly sliding out.

Anticipating a meltdown, Don looked at his little girl. "_We'll_ go have pizza, Katie-bear. And I bet if you ask nicely, you'll be able to convince Dan, Linds, and your grandparents to come, too. You can even stay up tonight until Tony gets home."

That was enough to stop a tantrum in its tracks. Katie gave Tony a sloppy kiss to his cheek, said, "Love you, Tony," then allowed Don to take her from her brother.

He easily swung his daughter up onto his shoulders, then looked at his son. "Have fun, buddy."

Tony said his goodbyes then headed off with Candice to join his teammates.

"Are you sure we can't take any credit for that?" Noelle asked her husband.

He chuckled. "I dunno. His jersey _does_ say Flack now."


	147. Highway of Heroes

**A/N **Hey Everyone. I am very sorry for the lack of updates. Summer, which is usually a quiet time for me, has been extremely busy, both at work and after hours. Add to that a case of writer's block and you get a month with no new chapters. I was actually even starting to consider ending the story as I'm not sure how many of you are even still out there lurking, but a few ideas have finally crept into my mind the past few days so I will continue on.

Disclaimer: This chapter takes place in Ontario, so I'm stealing (not borrowing because I don't intend to give him back) one of my new favourite characters: Sam Swarek from Global TV/ABC's _Rookie Blue _(tied with _CSI:NY_ for my favourite show right now).

* * *

Noelle had spent many summers visiting southern Ontario while she was growing up, staying with her mother's brother and his family in their home in the north end of Toronto. Her uncle had been a professor at U. of T. back then, and Noelle's favourite places in the city had been the ivy-covered buildings on the sprawling university campus. She had spent hours in Robarts Library, and it was there she had first developed her love for both reading and writing. Don himself had fallen in love with the city during the time he spent there while working on the Task Force. So it had seemed like the logical choice for the destination of their first family vacation. Neither really wanted to fly anywhere with a three year old, and Ontario was definitely feasible for a road trip. So the last week of August, they packed up the SUV and headed out of town, hoping that the ten days away would pass down a love of family trips they carried from their respective childhoods to Tony and Katie.

The trip was a long time coming by the time it rolled around. Noelle's book was climbing up the New York Times Bestseller's list, currently sitting just outside the top ten, at number eleven. Their lives had given them a reprieve on all the drama, but everything that had happened in the early summer was not forgotten. Joseph Alvarez had finally pled out to numerous charges, the evidence stacked against him and a lethal injection facing him if he was convicted at trial. He would be spending the rest of his life upstate in maximum security, his sister also getting a few years added on to her time for her participation in the death of her one-time love – and Tony's father. Noelle and Don had left out the _who_ when telling Tony about the latest murder charges copped to by his biological mother and uncle, though they both knew well enough that secrets always came out eventually. But for now they were just being grateful that the Alvarez name was no longer a part of their everyday vocabulary. Instead, they supported Tony's job, encouraged his practice on the baseball diamond, and shook their heads with pride when he handed them tickets to the Bon Jovi concert at the new Meadowlands Stadium. "That's a hell of a kid you got," Danny reminded them as he, Lindsay, Don and Noelle all left the responsibilities of parenthood behind for a night. And although his sixteenth birthday passed without him getting the car he had been hoping for, Don did take his son down to the DMV and he was now in possession of a shiny new learner's permit.

Tony had never been outside the boroughs of New York, so while he was kind of excited to see some new places, he was also a bit of a reluctant traveler considering it meant leaving his girlfriend for close to two weeks. He made use of the unlimited texting plan on his cell phone during the first day of driving, while Katie slept through most of it in the back seat of the Avalanche next to him. Noelle bounced ideas for her new book off her husband as they cruised down the I-87, then Don regaled her and Tony with some stupid criminal stories. They spent that night at a hotel called the Great Wolf Lodge on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls that Don had heard about from one of the beat cops who had a couple kids. Katie had a blast in the hotel's own water park, but nothing had beaten the awe of both kids as they got their first close-up view of one of the wonders of the world when they took a walk by the Falls before dinner.

The next morning, they finished the drive down the Queen Elizabeth Way to Toronto, where they spent the next five days around the city. They visited with Noelle's uncle and aunt, and took in all of the tourist sights: the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, and a day at the Canadian National Exhibition and Ontario Place. And their last night in town, they went to the Yankees-Jays game at the Rogers Centre. Tony and Don unabashedly cheered for A-Rod and Jeter while Noelle could not help but support the hometown team (who won the only game of the series that night). Katie peppered them with questions throughout the game, wondering why Tony wasn't allowed to suit up and play, then asking how they closed the big roof as she watched with wide eyes as they the Dome was shut part-way through the game thanks to the unexpected approach of some thunderstorms.

Nobody was anxious to leave that last morning, but once the rush hour was over on Day 6, Don turned the SUV onto the Eastbound 401 heading towards Ottawa for the second half of their trip. It was during that drive that both Don and Noelle were reminded that it is the journey and not the destination that really matters.

They were barely an hour into the trip to the nation's capital when Tony asked, "What's going on up there?"

Don did not even have to look ahead to know what his son was inquiring about. He had noticed it a couple kilometres back, but it had been too late to turn around. He glanced over at his wife and noticed a slight furrow in her brow. "It's the Highway of Heroes, kid," he replied, looking into the rear-view mirror to catch his son's eye.

"What's that?"

Don looked back over at Noelle and caught her subtle nod, though she was chewing on her lip. He knew her concerns had to do with the fact that Tony had already seen so much darkness in his young life, but Don knew there was a positive lesson in this experience their son would not soon forget. So he quickly moved out of the centre lane and exited off the highway. Reaching the first intersection, he glanced in both directions, trying to figure out where the best place was to park the SUV. As he manoeuvred the Avalanche, he explained, "You heard on the news a couple days ago that a soldier had been killed in Afghanistan?"

"Yeah…"

"When a Canadian is killed over there, they are flown into the Air Force Base in Trenton. There's a repatriation ceremony when they land, then they're driven to Toronto to the coroner's office. They named the route they travel along the 401 the Highway of Heroes."

"The overpasses are lined with people who want to show their respect," Noelle added. "They must be close."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Can we go?"

"Yes, if you want to," Noelle agreed, glancing over her shoulder at the teen.

He nodded quickly. "Yeah."

Don found a place to park the SUV along the side of the road not too far away from the overpass. Katie had fallen asleep and had yet to awaken, so he eased her out of her car seat while Noelle watched her son's eyes widen at the number of people already gathered in anticipation of the convoy that would be coming through before too long. As they got closer, Tony noticed that the occupants of a couple police cruisers and a fire truck were among those waiting, and numerous flags were draped over the railing of the bridge.

"They do this for every one?" Tony asked his mother quietly.

She nodded, putting an arm around his shoulders as they reached the top. There were too many people for any traffic to get through, those gathered already spilling off the sidewalks and into the street.

"Who called the NYPD?"

Don quirked an eyebrow at the sound of a familiar voice and looked around. He shook his head then with a smile at the small world phenomenon. He shifted a rousing Katie to his left hip, extending his right hand to the dark-haired man who had straightened up from where he had been leaning against the bridge railing. "Sam. How're you doin', man?"

Sam Swarek shook Don's hand. "I'm good. But what, uh – What are you doing up here?"

"Family vacation. We came up to spend a few days in the city and visit Noelle's family, and now we're on our way to Ottawa. But we couldn't drive by without stopping."

Sam nodded. He smiled as Katie rubbed her eyes, trying to get her bearings after waking in a very unfamiliar place. "This your little girl?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. This is Katie, and my wife, Noelle. And this here is our son, Tony. Guys, Sam Swarek, one of the Toronto Police Services' finest," Don explained.

Noelle shook Sam's hand. "Hi, it's very nice to meet you. I'm guessing you two met during the Task Force?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we did. Your husband here made quite an impression," Sam replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"You still with the Drug Squad?" Don asked.

"Actually, I'm back on patrol. Well, for the time being anyway. I'm waiting for a spot on Guns and Gangs to open up and until then, I'd rather be working the streets. I just came off eight months of an undercover assignment. They've got me as a T.O right now, so that's been, uh – interesting."

Don chuckled. "They're entrusting you with rookies? Or did you piss someone off?"

Sam smirked. He looked at Tony. "So what about you, pal? You looking to follow in your old man's footsteps and join the NYPD?"

Tony shrugged.

"It's a back-up plan," Don said, ruffling his son's hair. "He's an ace pitcher. He won the district championship for his high school team a couple months back."

"No kidding. In that case, maybe the Jays can draft you and we'd actually have a shot at the playoffs sometime this decade."

Noelle fought back a chuckle at the way Tony rolled his eyes at the thought of being a Blue Jay.

Tony sobered then, looking at the sea of people. "Is it always like this?" he wondered.

Sam glanced around. "Uh, yeah. Usually. Though it depends sometimes on the weather or the time of day. Sometimes if more than one solider comes back at the same time, there's two or three times the crowd."

"So you've been here before?"

Sam looked back at the teenager with a solemn nod. "If I'm off-duty, I try to make it. I've, uh – I've never _personally _lost someone over there, but I do have a couple buddies who are stationed outside Kandahar right now. But being a cop, I've lost friends on the job, just like I know your father has. So this is my way of showing my respect and my gratitude for their sacrifice," he explained. "It might not be much but –"

"It's important," Tony finished.

Sam offered a small smile, quickly glancing at Don and offering a silent communication at how proud he should be of his son's interest and respect.

Don nodded, though at Sam's comment about losing friends on the job – and this entire experience – he could not help but be taken back to 9/11. And as proud as he would be to see Tony graduate from the Academy and become fourth generation in the NYPD, the thought of his son's life ever being on the line while on-duty made his stomach knot.

"Daddy, look at the cars," Katie said, pointing down the highway to a line of cars headed by a couple police cruisers.

Don knew that Katie had no idea what she was experiencing, and that she would probably not even really remember this. But he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, just glad that she was still young enough to protect and hold onto her innocence. It was days like this that he wished he could keep her his little girl forever. Meanwhile, a glance over at his son told him that before he knew it, Tony would be making some pretty major decisions about what he wanted to do with his life, and if the look on his face right now was any indication, today was leaving an indelible mark on the boy. Don was not so sure that baseball was at the top of the list in that moment.

Tony watched as the convoy passed by, the cops and firemen, and a few others on the overpass who were obviously ex-military saluting as the hearse approached. He heard often on the news about American soldiers losing their lives overseas, but he had never seen one come home like this. Tony wasn't even sure if what they did back home compared and felt kind of guilty for his uncertainty. However, seeing the kind of respect the soldier commanded reminded him of how he had seen his father treated. After seeing the kind of damage his uncle and his biological mother had caused, Tony knew that he wanted to do something with his own life that commanded that same kind of respect. He was proud of being a Flack and wanted nothing more than to continue bringing pride to the name.

"So what happens now?" he asked.

"Uh, well, Corporal Collins' body will be taken to the coroner's office downtown. After that, she'll be released to her family and, I'm guessing, flown back to Saskatchewan where she's from for burial," Sam explained.

"And all these people just go home or back to work or whatever?"

Sam nodded. "But they won't forget. I mean, you won't, right?"

"No, 'course not."

"Then there ya go."

Tony considered and nodded slowly.

Sam patted the kid on the shoulder, then looked at Don. "I'm on afternoons, so I gotta head back to the city. It was good seeing you again, my friend. Keep in touch, huh?"

Don shook his hand. "I will. Stay safe while you're workin' the streets, all right?"

"You got it. You, uh – You got a beautiful family, brother. Take care a' them. Noelle, it was nice finally meeting you. And Tony…" Sam looked at the teenage boy then. "The Jays need you, buddy. Take care of that arm." He flashed a smirk, then turned and headed off back across the bridge.

"We should get back on the road," Noelle suggested.

Don agreed, though he noticed a contemplative look on his son's face. "Why don't you take Katie back to the car and get her settled?"

Noelle took their daughter from her husband and headed back down the sidewalk towards the Avalanche.

Don put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Antonio? You okay, kid?"

The boy nodded slowly. "Thanks. For stopping, I mean. I'm glad we came."

"Yeah, me too. "

Tony took a deep breath, then squinting against the noon sun, he looked at his father. "Did you ever think about enlisting?"

"Honestly? No, I, uh – I never did. I just always wanted to be a cop like my father. And after 9/11…Well, being in New York was almost like being in a war zone," Don replied.

"I don't really remember."

"I'm glad about that, kid. You and Katie… It's important you know it happened because that's your city and it's part of our history. But I don't want you to ever see friends lose their lives the way I did that day. You've seen enough, Tony. And you've come out of it with this heart and this amazing outlook and – You know, your ma and I are really proud of the man you're becoming."

Tony considered for a moment. "Do you think I really have a chance in the Majors?"

Don hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure I know enough about the pros to give you an honest answer. But I know you're good. I know that your coach thinks you're good enough and he wants you playing varsity through your senior year. And I know that Messer gets this wistful expression on his face every time he watches you play which tells me he thinks you've got more talent than he ever had, and he probably would've ended up in the Majors if he hadn't wrecked his wrist. So as a detective who draws conclusions based on facts and evidence, I'd say with all that, the odds are on your side." He paused for a second, taking a breath. "And I know that your mom will give herself an aneurysm if you think about goin' into the Service when I'm out on the streets already, so if that's where you're going with all this…"

Tony shrugged.

"You've got a lot of time, buddy. I'm not gonna tell you it's the best time in your life 'cause, well as great as high school was, for me nothing's compared to the past two years since your ma, and you and Katie, came into my life. But kid, you're goin' into your junior year with the world at your feet. That's all ya gotta focus on right now."

"Okay."

"Okay. C'mon, let's get back on the road. We've still got a four hour drive ahead of us."

"Can I drive some?" Tony asked hopefully.

Don shot him an incredulous look.

"Yeah, didn't think so. But ya can't blame me tryin', right?"

"You are _so_ my kid. I can just tell that's gonna come back and bite me some day…" Don muttered as he guided his son down off the overpass.

Weeks later, an amazing trip behind them, Tony was back to school for his junior year, Noelle's book was sitting at number three on the Bestseller's List, Katie was enrolled in a preschool program three mornings a week, and Don was back to solving crimes that often left him shaking his head at the stupidity out there. With life back to normal, he figured the late morning on the overpass over the Highway of Heroes was a memory his son would always hold on to but in time let fade.

That was until Stella and Mac were over for dinner one night. While Stella and Noelle talked in the kitchen, Don returned to the living after grabbing himself and Mac a couple beers in time to hear his son ask, "Mac, what was it like being in the Marines?"


	148. Quantum Leap

**A/N **My dear and faithful readers:After subjecting you to another long time between updates, I have decided it is time to bring _When You're Not Looking_ to an end. Between a new job, out-right busy-ness, and, admittedly, some cluelessness over where to go next, I feel it is only right to walk away before I do Don, Noelle, Katie or Tony any disservice. Perhaps one day there will be a sequel. And you cannot stop a writer from writing, so I'll be around.

Thank you to everyone who has supported my story along the way. This epic has been three years in the making, and it has only endured this long because of all of you! Don, Noelle, Katie, Tony – and Rocco – also wish to say thank you for tagging along on their adventures.

With that said, I give you the finale...

"Hey, babe, mail's here," Don announced as he walked into the kitchen. He sat down at the table next to Noelle, who was typing away on her laptop.

Even though her latest deadline had long since passed and her new chapters had not yet been forwarded to her editor, she stopped her work as Don gently tossed the pile of mail onto the table, a large envelope deliberately set on the top of the stack. She just stared at it for a moment before looking over at her husband. "So it's official."

"Considering the envelope is even thicker than the ones that came from Florida State and Virginia, I'd say, yeah, it's pretty official."

She blinked a couple times as if willing the envelope to disappear. Finally, she pushed back from the table and walked over to the counter, pouring herself another cup of coffee. However, she did not take a sip of the strong, black liquid. Instead, she set the mug down forcefully and looked back over at her husband. "Damn it! What are we going to do now?"

"Nol..."

"He – He can't go, Donnie."

"Look, I know you're not exactly thrilled about this but –"

"You think?" Noelle shot back.

Don quirked an eyebrow, a half-smile tugging at his mouth. "Babe..."

She furrowed her brow. "You're right. I'm not happy about it, because I'm thinking about how disappointed _Danny's_ going to be. I mean, a miserable Danny Messer is just not fun to be around," she rebuked.

Don's grin broadened at his wife's attempt to sidestep how disappointed _she_ was. Well, disappointed was not the right word. Worried. Scared. All of those adjectives that describe a mother's concern over her child's well-being. "C'mon, sweetheart, do you have any idea how damn proud we should be right now?" he pointed out.

"I know. I _am_ proud," she admitted softly.

"Messer'll get over it. Besides, Tony's still gonna be playing ball. If nine Black Knights have been drafted into the Majors over the years, there's nothing sayin' the same can't happen for him. Just 'cause they're not a top ten team right now..."

"It's sunny in Florida," Noelle argued pointlessly.

"Sure, but he'd be a thousand miles away. Now he's less than a half-day's drive."

She shook her head. "I don't get how you can be so okay with this."

"Look, Nol, I ain't exactly thrilled here, and don't think I don't have all the same concerns. But, babe, despite all the crap our kid had thrown at him early on, Tony gettin' in here just reinforces what we already knew: our son has grown into this intelligent, strong and honourable young man. And you know this wasn't something that just happened overnight. He's been working for this for almost two years." He reached out his hand to her, and when she finally relented and walked back over to him, he took her hand and pulled her down onto his lap.

Noelle took a deep breath, unable to deny her husband's point. "Florida State and UV were never more than just back-ups, were they?"

"Unless he's changed his mind, yeah." Don leaned over and kissed her gently. "It's gonna be okay. But as much as we don't want to, it's time we gotta let him go."

"You make it sound easy."

"You kiddin' me? Driving him down to Annapolis in July is gonna be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But he's almost eighteen. We can't keep him locked up here in this house. We gotta stand back and let him find his own way now. But I'm pretty damn sure that with the choice he's making, he ain't gonna get lost out there."

"I'm not ready to let him go, Donnie," she whispered, her emotions threatening to get the best of her.

"We still got some time. But I don't think we've got a choice in this one." He brushed her hair off her face, then kissed her again, this time languidly. "You gonna be okay? I gotta go pick up Katie."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I better send off these pages or Abigail's going to be all over me. You'd think after two books, she'd clue into the fact that if it's not at least a little late, it's not going to be any good."

"She just wants to make sure she keeps gettin' to work with the star of the publishing house."

Noli sighed. "I think what I'd rather do is take Rocco out for a run and try to get myself together before you guys get home. You're going to get the cake, right?"

"Yeah, you got it." He stood up, dropping a kiss on top of his wife's head before he headed out to pick up their daughter from school.

A couple hours later, Noelle was assembling a lasagne for dinner when she heard the front door open and close.

"Hey, Ma, did, uh – Did anything come in the mail for me today?" Tony asked hopefully as he bounded into the kitchen after dropping his backpack and kicking off his shoes in the foyer – uttering the first words that had escaped his lips every day for the past week.

Noelle glanced up from her spot at the counter. She nodded towards the kitchen table sternly. She was not sure if she was chastising her son or trying to put off the inevitable just a little bit longer.

Tony looked over at the table, where Katie sat colouring, a pout on her face at being ignored. He furrowed his brow. He looked at his mother apologetically, then walked over and pulled out a chair, sitting down next to his little sister. "Hey, princess."

"Hi," she replied, not looking up at him.

"So, what'd ya do in pre-K today?"

Katie just shrugged.

Tony looked over his shoulder at Noelle for some help, but she just quirked an eyebrow and went back to working on dinner. He sighed, reaching over and smoothing a hand down over his little sister's curls. "You feel any different? It's a big deal being five."

At that, the little girl ventured a peek sideways through her long eyelashes.

He offered a lop-sided grin. "You think I'd forget such a big day? Ah, c'mon, Katie-bear. I've been tellin' everyone all over school that it's my little sister's fifth birthday today. I even had to catch myself a few times, 'cause I can't say 'baby sister' anymore. I mean, five's big. It's huge! You're like all grown up now, right?"

Katie nodded proudly with a big, toothy smile, forgetting that she had been mad at her brother only moments before.

"Yeah, you are." He leaned over and kissed her temple before ruffling her hair. "Soon kindergarten, then I got my money on Harvard..." he kidded.

"Bite your tongue," Noelle muttered quietly.

However, Tony heard her. He looked over at his mother, and from the expression on her face, he had the answer to his original question. He hesitated for a moment before planting another kiss on top of his sister's head, then pushing his chair away from the table. "Ma..."

Noli took a deep breath, then wiped her hands off on a towel before reaching across the sink to the other counter top where she had left the mail. She handed him the large envelope. "Congratulations, sweetheart."

His eyes widened as he took it from her. He turned it over in his hands a few times as if making sure it was real. Finally, he looked back at the front of the envelope. Up in the left corner, the unmistakeable insignia. And sure enough, it was addressed to him – his name, Antonio Flack, was staring right back at him. "It's official, Ma. I'm in!"

Despite her reservations, Noelle had a hard time fighting back a proud smile. "Of course you got in."

He quickly ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside, his grin getting bigger as he read it through. He then shuffled through the extra material enclosed, his excitement growing.

"Congratulations, kid!" Don said from the doorway, a big grin on his own face. "We'll definitely have to celebrate."

"Some other night," Tony relented, looking at his sister with a wink. "Tonight's all about you, princess. What kind of cake did you finally decide on?"

Katie hopped down off her chair and walked over to Tony, looking up at him sadly. "You're going away?"

Tony crouched down in front of her, furrowing his brow at the look on her face. "Yeah, but you don't gotta worry about it for a while, okay? It's not for a couple months. We still got a while to hang out, and now that you're five, we're gonna be able to do all sorts of cool stuff."

"But I don't want you to go."

"It'll be okay, Katie-bear. I promise. And have I ever broken a promise to you?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Then you really think I would start now?"

The little girl shook her head once again. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Love you, Tony."

"Ah, I love you, too. Happy Birthday."

Hours later, the Flack house was full of relatives and friends, all gathered to celebrate Katie's fifth birthday. After a buffet dinner and cake and ice cream, and the opening of presents, the guests had scattered throughout the living and dining rooms and the kitchen. Katie had basked in the attention for much of the evening before finally heading up to her room with Matteo, Olivia, Lucy and her cousins to break in her new toys.

Not wanting to steal his daughter's thunder, but bursting at the seams with pride, Don took advantage when the opportunity presented itself. He managed a loud enough whistle to get everyone's attention and corralled the guests into the living room.

"If this is your way of saying the bar is closed, I'm outta here," Danny joked as the room quieted.

Everyone laughed, though Lindsay rolled her eyes at her husband before settling against his side as he threw an arm around her.

"No worries, Messer. In fact, if you don't have a drink in your hand, make sure you get one. Because we got a lot to celebrate tonight," Don announced.

Noelle, who was standing next to Tony across the room, put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"I believe Noli and I have done enough bragging for you all to know that Florida State and UV have been banging down our doors trying to get our kid to play ball for them this Fall. But what you don't know is that neither school is gettin' the honour." With a proud grin, Don pointed his beer bottle at his son. "Tony has decided to turn down the Florida sunshine and the chance to play for the current number one team to accept the official appointment he received this afternoon to the United States Naval Academy!"

A somewhat surprised silence momentarily passed over the assembled crowd. Only one other person apart from his parents had known about Tony seeking admission to the USNA. It had been a very long process, and the Academy was very difficult to get into, so he had not wanted to broadcast his attempt in case he didn't make it. Even after he had received their Letter of Assurance back in the Fall, he had not wanted to jinx things, knowing he still had to get through his senior year without letting his grades drop or his strength out on the field diminish.

Mac walked over to Tony with a broad smile on his face, his hand extended to the young man. "Congratulations, Tony. I am very proud of you, son."

Tony looked away a little sheepishly, before finally shaking the outstretched hand. "Thank you, Mac. You have no idea how much I have appreciated all of your help and support through all of this."

"You knew about this, Mac?" Danny asked a little incredulously. He clapped Tony on the back then. "Congrats, man. But I guess I just lost all hope of ever gettin' season's tickets for the Mets, huh?"

Tony chuckled. "Well, not any time soon. But I'm determined to kick the Black Knights' asses at the next Army-Navy game. I've already been given a place on the team, so don't count it out completely. It's just no longer my priority. And it's your fault, you know."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "How's that, kid?"

"'Cause I've been watching you and Lindsay, and Mac and Stella. Add to that carrying the Flack name, and you kind of get the importance of the whole protect and serve thing. I want to do my part."

Offers of congratulations, hugs and handshakes followed, everyone impressed with the choice he was making.

"So, are we going Navy or Marine?" Mark asked his nephew.

"Hopefully Marine. But time will tell. A smaller number of graduates get the second lieutenant commission in the Corps than commissions in the Navy. Although, I haven't completely ruled out the SEALS," Tony explained.

A couple hours later, the guests having all gone home, Don finished reading the birthday girl her bedtime story and tucked her in.

"Did you have fun at your birthday party, cutie?" he asked as he brushed her curls off her face and kissed her forehead.

Katie nodded with a big grin.

"I'm glad, baby girl. Okay, you all set? You got your glass of water, and Rocco's already on watch...You have sweet dreams." He tweaked her nose, then went to stand up from his spot on the edge of her bed.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Katie-bear?"

"Auntie Stella say that Tony will get a un'form like Uncle Mac has in those picsures in his office!"

Don sat back down with a nod. "Yep, she's right."

"I don't want him to go away. But Uncle Will said we should be really proud of him. That means he's doing something 'portant, right?" she asked.

Flack smiled. "Yeah, he is. And I know you're really gonna miss him, cutie. So are me and your ma. But he's gonna call and email whenever he can, and I bet he's gonna have all sorts of cool stories to tell ya when he comes home."

"Maybe Rocco can go with him and make sure he doesn't get lonely."

Don glanced over at the sleeping dog. "That's a really nice idea, but I think Rocco would miss _you_ too much. And I have a feeling that your brother is probably not allowed to have a German shepherd in the barracks with him."

"Oh. Can he take Mr Monkey then?"

Don chuckled at the thought of his macho son showing up for Plebe Summer at the Naval Academy with a stuffed monkey in hand. "You know somethin', cutie? Tony's gonna be staying with a lot of other guys. I don't think he'll need Mr Monkey. But that doesn't mean that he's not gonna miss his little sister like crazy." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Now why don't you close your eyes and get some sleep, okay? Tomorrow, you, me, Tony and your mom will do something fun together. How's that sound?"

"Yay! Okay, I go to sleep now. Love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too. Happy Birthday, cutie."

Downstairs, Tony helped his mother clean up the kitchen, furrowing his brow as he noticed how distant she looked as she loaded the dishwasher. "Ma?"

"Yes, honey?"

"You're not mad, are you?" he asked warily.

Noelle stopped what she was doing and straightened up, turning to look at her son. "No, of course not."

"But you're not happy that I'm accepting the appointment to the Academy, right?"

"Here, come sit for a second." She put an arm around him and led him over to the kitchen table, both sitting down together. She hesitated for a moment, knowing there was no way she was going to get through this without getting all weepy, and already bemoaning the fact. She looked at Tony, almost in disbelief at how grown up he was. He was taller than Don now, and in pique physical shape – strong and muscular. His thick, black hair was cut short, and there was usually some scruff on his face. His voice was deep, an unmistakeable Queens accent buried in the timbre. Aside from the physical, he had become a mature, self-assured young man. He and Candice had stayed together most of two years, but had broken up earlier in the year when she decided she couldn't handle her boyfriend committing himself to the Armed Forces for the next nine years. He had remained single since, and was still deciding which of the myriad of interested girls at Fillmore High he was going to ask to prom. It was definitely a man, not a boy, who was looking back at Noli now. He was worlds away from the kid who had come to live there three years earlier.

"Mom, you're staring," he cut into her thoughts, a lop-sided smile on his face.

She shook her head with a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I just – God, I can't get over how much you've changed. I still remember the shy boy Don brought home that day. And in some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday, while in others..."

"Feels like forever, huh?"

She nodded. She took a deep breath. "I'm about to get all mushy, so brace yourself."

He laughed softly. "Yeah, kinda figured."

Noli rolled her eyes. "Honey, it's not that I'm unhappy. I'm just – I'm a mom. I'm _your_ mom. And the thought of my son going away to school is difficult enough to wrap my head around. But when that school's preparing you for the Marines? It's a little overwhelming."

"The war's over, Ma. And even if it wasn't, it's not like I'd be shipping out to Kandahar or someplace like that tomorrow."

"I know, baby. But you'll still be shipped off somewhere at some point. And it could be Boise, Idaho, and I'd still worry. That's my job. You have to understand, Antonio, that there is no way I could love you any more if I had carried you inside of me for nine months, or if you had come to live with us one second before you did. You're my son in every way that matters. So no matter what, this is going to be hard."

"I get it. But I gotta do this."

She nodded. "I know you do. You have this sense of honour and this work ethic that just amazes me. Between everything you went through, and then being the kid of a cop, you had the foundation laid to be the kind of teenager that rebelled and got your father and I called at crazy hours of the morning to pick you up from hospitals or police stations..."

He chewed on his lip, looking away.

Noelle shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Yeah, well, your dad and I didn't find out about you disassembling that squad car with John and Sonny until well after the fact – for which you should be _very_ grateful."

He smirked.

"You're just lucky you re-assembled it correctly and didn't get caught, or your father would have locked you up himself."

Tony just grinned. He had figured that if his old man could hotwire a squad car in his youth, than _he_ should be able to take one apart. He did put it back together – after leaving it running with the lights and sirens on all night in the school yard, homage to the pranksters at MIT. "It's your fault for takin' me and Katie to Boston last year."

"To visit Don's sister. Not so you could get some crazy ideas from MIT. Anyway, back to my point: besides one questionable prank – which, admittedly, you had to be some kind of genius to pull off – you've become this incredible young man, and I am so very proud of you. But you have to understand that doesn't mean that I'm ready to let you go yet. But I do realize that's mine to deal with, and that I _do_ need to let you go," she confessed. She reached over and took his hand. "You know, the night before my hysterectomy, I told Jen that it was okay, because I knew it meant there was a child out there that needed me more than any I could give birth to. But I never guessed I would end up with _two_ amazing kids. And being your mom is a gift. But it's a mother's prerogative to worry, Tony. Especially when her son does something crazy like joining the Armed Forces. Doesn't mean I won't be bragging about you just the same."

"I wouldn't have ever gotten into the Academy if it weren't for you and Dad. Katie and I are the lucky ones in this, Ma."

"Now who's getting mushy?" she teased him in response.

"You started it. I'm goin' to bed. But we're cool, right?" he asked as he stood up.

"Of course. Just make sure there's lots of Kleenex available the day we take you to Annapolis, and steal some of your granddad's blood pressure pills and spike my drink with them whenever you have to tell me you're being shipped out somewhere. Then it'll be fine."

He fired her off his trademark grin. "Night, Ma."

Don walked into the en suite a while later as Noelle was brushing her teeth. He leaned against the counter and just watched her as she finished. Four years together and she still took his breath away.

"What are you looking at?" she asked as she caught his eye in the mirror.

"You."

She blushed. She grabbed the bottle of moisturizer off the counter and rubbed some into her hands as she turned and looked at him. She bit her lip, taking in his long, lean form standing there in front of her, only a pair of sweats slung low on his hips.

"See something you like, Mrs Flack?" he asked with a quire of his eyebrow.

"Maybe," she said nonchalantly, slowly closing the distance between them.

"This mean you're feeling better about everything?" he asked as he wrapped her in his arms.

"It means I'm looking for a distraction. Got any ideas?"

"See babe, that's why you married me. 'Cause I've always got your back. You need a distraction, I'm your man."

Noelle laughed softly. "So very altruistic of you."

He flashed his dimples before he leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. "Everything's gonna be okay."

"I know." She slid her arms around his neck, her hands playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck. "As long as I've had you, everything's been okay. Even when it hasn't."

Don nodded with a smile. "He's just growin' up, Nol."

"I know."

"Funny thing is, neither of _us_ is gettin' any older," he quipped. He pulled her even closer. "I love you. I love our kids. And I love the life we've made together. Tony goin' away to school – isn't it some kinda validation that the life we got here is pretty damn good? He had opportunities he might not've had otherwise, right? Now he's goin' to the USNA. Not every parent out there can say that about their kid."

"Maybe we could just brag about the fact that he got in and not that he's actually going there?" she suggested hopefully.

"You know somethin', I think I'd be worried if you were pushin' him out the door. So I'll take this whole holdin' on as tight as you can thing."

"You know me well."

Flack smirked. "I know you _very_ well. Fact is, I'm pretty sure I know how to keep your mind of all of this for most of the night. You game?"

"Are you going to be losing what clothes you have on?"

"A distinct possibility. And as hot as you look in my shirt there, turn about's fair play."

"Well, if it involves a locked bedroom door, both of us naked and you doing that thing that makes me forget my own name..."

"Wow, and here I thought solving homicides was my best skill."

"Oh, rest assured, Detective, you are a man of _many_ talents. I love you."

Don fired off a wink. "Bed?"

Noelle grinned. "Or dresser. Maybe the floor..." She took his hand and led him into the bedroom.

"So this is what happens when you're not looking. A hot chick picks you up in a bar and decides to never let go."

"Who picked up who?" she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Ah, c'mon, you couldn't resist my charm."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

He smirked. "It makes a good story, ya gotta admit. And seriously, Nol, isn't it time you cop to the fact that you nearly spilled that drink on me on purpose?"

"Oh, God, here we go again..."


End file.
